When writing is vague, confusing, or poorly executed, there is always a reason — and a solution. This is the focus of Guide to Writing Magazine Nonfiction. It is not a typical how-to book that offers hundreds of writing techniques in an unorganized fashion. Instead, this text presents the writing process as a process, emphasizing the major concepts found in every piece of prose. These concepts include topic, theme, title, moment, occasion of narration, viewpoint, voice, and ending. Employing a step-by-step approach, this book shows students how each of these basic elements functions within a story. Students are taught not only why a passage is flawed, but also how to fix it using universal tools of the craft. In addition, this text emphasizes the importance of revising your work, and encourages students continuously to log ideas, isolate themes, and research topics throughout the writing process.
One of the few books on the market that approaches magazine writing from a non-news editorial perspective and uses rhetorical terms and approaches that apply to all genres of basic nonfiction, this text contains several layers of instruction. Throughout the book, the author presents and analyzes the works of successful writers to illustrate the basic elements of nonfiction. Also within the chapters, aspiring and newly published authors share excerpts from first and second drafts of their works to show how writing can be revised and improved with an understanding of the basic concepts. These features, combined with a variety of in-chapter exercises and practical advice on how to successfully write and get published, form a uniquely comprehensive text that offers students a solid understanding of all aspects of magazine nonfiction writing.
