Course Description:

What do David Sedaris, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jon Krakauer, Michael Lewis, and Joan Didion have in common? They excel in one of the most popular styles of writing in today's market: narrative nonfiction.

The class will cover all the major genres of narrative non-fiction: web writing, short and extended magazine articles, and books. It will delve into the most popular forms of narrative writing, from historical to adventure to food and travel to the extended essay and business. Students will read from a diverse list of journalists, authors, pundits, and teachers. They will learn to identify what makes an idea the best idea for a piece. They will also learn to craft tone and voice according to their style, their intended audience, and their venue. They will learn why narrative non-fiction relies so heavily on counter-intuition, alternative points of view, and above all else, credentials.

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Warning: This is an intensive long-form writing class.  It is designed for students who have strong fundamentals in writing and good instincts for narrative writing.  Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Send an e-mail to sfk9 [at] georgetown [dot] edu for a syllabus