Below I’ll give you my selections for the best Creative Nonfiction books by a few categories. I will cover these and other great books more in depth later.
1. Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life, Second Edition (2017)
Writing creative nonfiction intertwines journalistic truth and literary techniques to tell a story that is clear, accurate, and exploding with meaning. Philip Gerard artfully guides readers through the entire creative nonfiction writing process, going beyond the technical basics to address topics such as ethics, voice, and structural integrity. In response to the genre’s evolution, the latest edition includes examples to illustrate how cultural changes have influenced the way writers conduct research, approach writing, and communicate during the production of their…
2. You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction–from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between (2012)
From “the godfather behind creative nonfiction” (Vanity Fair) comes this indispensable how-to for nonfiction writers of all levels and genres, “reminiscent of Stephen King’s fiction handbook On Writing” (Kirkus). Whether you’re writing a rags-to-riches tell-all memoir or literary journalism, telling true stories well is hard work. In You Can’t Make This Stuff Up, Lee Gutkind, the go-to expert for all things creative nonfiction, offers his unvarnished wisdom to help you craft the best writing possible. Frank, to-the-point, and always entertaining, Gutkind describes and illustrates every aspect of the genre. Invaluable tools and…
3. Touchstone Anthology of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction: Work from 1970 to the Present (2007)
From memoir to journalism, personal essays to cultural criticism, this indispensable anthology brings together works from all genres of creative nonfiction, with pieces by fifty contemporary writers including Cheryl Strayed, David Sedaris, Barbara Kingsolver, and more.Selected by five hundred writers, English professors, and creative writing teachers from across the country, this collection includes only the most highly regarded nonfiction work published since 1970. Contributers include: Jo Ann Beard, Wendell Berry, Eula Biss, Mary Clearman Blew, Charles Bowden, Janet Burroway, Kelly Grey Carlisle, Anne Carson,…
4. In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction (2004)
A cross section of the famous and those bound to become so, this collection is a riveting experience highlighting the expanding importance of this dramatic and exciting new genre.Creative nonfiction, also known as narrative nonfiction, liberated journalism by inviting writers to dramatize, interpret, speculate, and even re-create their subjects. Lee Gutkind collects twenty-five essays that flourished in this new turf, all originally published in the groundbreaking journal he founded, Creative Nonfiction, now in its tenth anniversary year.Many of the writers here are crossing genres―from poetry to fiction to nonfiction. Annie…
5. The Natural Speaker (7th Edition) (2011)
is a concise, practical, inexpensive, student-friendly guide to public speaking that explores the basic skills necessary to present a natural, effective, and rewarding speech to any audience.By providing a basic knowledge of speech construction, practice, and delivery, this book is designed to enhance and improve students' natural speaking strengths. Featuring a warm, simple, and humorous writing style, The Natural Speaker presents the fundamental concepts and skills required for effective speaking….
6. Writing First with Readings: Practice in Context (2011)
Best-selling authors and veteran college writing instructors Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell believe that students learn to write best when they use their own writing as a starting point. In Writing First with Readings: Practice in Context, designed for the paragraph to essay course, Kirszner and Mandell take seriously the ideas and expressive abilities of developmental students, as well as their need to learn the rules of writing and grammar. Visual writing prompts that open every chapter get students writing immediately. By moving frequently between their own writing, writing models…
7. Creative Instructional Methods for: Family & Consumer Sciences, Nutrition & Wellness Student Text (THE DEVELOPING CHILD) (2002)
Becoming a great educator is a lifelong quest. This new professional resource is designed especially for Family and Consumer Sciences, Nutrition, and Wellness educators-in both formal and informal settings. Its practical approach shows how educational theory is applied in real-life settings. Creative Instructional Methods is both a methods text for preservice teachers and a handbook of fresh ideas and the latest techniques for experienced educators. Look for topics such as teaching with technology, working with at-risk and special needs learners, implementing service learning, balancing career…
8. Creative Nonfiction (2008)
CREATIVE NONFICTION thoroughly explains the processes that creative writers of nonfiction use in approaching their topics so students can use the techniques in many different writing situations–from first-year composition or service-learning courses to creative writing workshops, feature writing, and memoir writing. Part I covers the essentials of style, content, and form. In Part II, each chapter introduces a new form of creative nonfiction and offers samples drawn from a diverse array of essays. Exercises and prompts help students use this form in their own writing. Part II guides students in revising their drafts, both individually…
9. Writing True (2013)
This book shows writers of all ages how to find and develop nonfiction topics that matter to them–in ways that make readers care too. It emphasizes writing for discovery, not just writing what one knows. It emphasizes a strong authorial presence (voice) and a convincing point of view. Most important, it not only tells but also shows how writing true involves the poet’s attention to language, the fiction writer’s power of storytellling, the journalist’s pursuit of fact, and the scholar’s reliance on research. The first part of the book offers ten practical chapters from…
10. Breakthrough Thinking: A Guide to Creative Thinking and Idea Generation (2014)
Harness your creative potential!Make no mistake; creative thinking is a skill. As with any skill, it can be strengthened, honed and mastered. And just like any endeavor, mastery of creativity requires thoughtful study and practice. This book gives you the tools you need to make creative thinking a part of your approach to every aspect of your life.Breakthrough Thinking is a holistic approach to creativity complete with industry examples from successful creative professionals and some of the top creative organizations in business today. Within the pages of this timely and comprehensive guide…
11. The Art of Creative Nonfiction: Writing and Selling the Literature of Reality (Wiley Books for Writers) (1997)
A complete guide to the art and craft of creative nonfiction–from one of its pioneer practitionersThe challenge of creative nonfiction is to write the truth in a style that is as accurate and informative as reportage, yet as personal, provocative, and dramatic as fiction. In this one-of-a-kind guide, award-winning author, essayist, teacher, and editor Lee Gutkind gives you concise, pointed advice on every aspect of writing and selling your work, including:* Guidelines for choosing provocative–and salable–topics* Smart research techniques–including advice on conducting penetrating…
12. Writing Talk: Paragraphs and Short Essays with Readings (with MyWritingLab Student Access Code Card) (5th Edition) (2008)
Winkler and McCuen-Matherall have created a writing series that takes into account many of the known difficulties that developing writing students have with English language skills and strategies. Writing Talk: Paragraphs and Short Essays with Readings, 5/e reaches more students by providing the most varied practice exercises of any writing text. Every unit contains Practice Exercises, Unit Tests, Unit Talk-Write Exercises, Unit Collaborative Assignments, Unit Writing Assignments, and Photo Writing Assignments. These diverse exercises will help students of all types–visual,…
Best Creative Nonfiction Books You Should Enjoy
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Genesis and download some creative nonfiction books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Tell It Slant: Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction
Author(s): Brenda Miller, Suzanne Paola
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education, Year: 2019, Size: 2 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 2397285
Study in Perfect
Author(s): Sarah Gorham, Bernard Cooper
Publisher: University of Georgia Press, Year: 2014, Size: 1 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 1382821
Study in perfect : essays
Author(s): Sarah Gorham, Bernard Cooper, Supriya Bhatnagar
Publisher: The University of Georgia Press, Year: 2014, Size: 2 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 1430938
Unfolding the Unexpectedness of Uncertainty: Creative Nonfiction and the Lives of Becoming Teachers
Author(s): Anita Sinner
Publisher: SensePublishers, Year: 2013, Size: 669 Kb, Download: pdf
ID: 1038662
You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction--from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between
Author(s): Lee Gutkind
Publisher: Da Capo Press, Year: 2012, Size: 666 Kb, Download: epub
ID: 1559645
You can't make this stuff up : the complete guide to writing creative nonfiction--from memoir to literary journalism and everything in between
Author(s): Gutkind, Lee
Publisher: Da Capo Press/Lifelong Books, Year: 2012, Size: 786 Kb, Download: mobi
ID: 2082133
At the End of Life: True Stories About How We Die
Author(s): Lee Gutkind
Publisher: Creative Nonfiction, Year: 2012, Size: 411 Kb, Download: epub
ID: 2339074
Last Day on Earth: A Portrait of the NIU School Shooter
Author(s): David Vann
Publisher: University of Georgia Press, Year: 2011, Size: 2 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 841558
Last day on earth : a portrait of the NIU school shooter
Author(s): Kazmierczak, Steve; Vann, David
Publisher: University of Georgia Press, Year: 2011, Size: 2 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 1426765
Please note that this booklist is not errorless. Some books are absolutely chart-busters according to USA Today, others are drafted by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant links you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.