“[T]rue stories, well told.” That’s the definition of creative nonfiction, Lee Gutkind says (in this brief radio interview), as he admits he loves to read fiction–even as he is the founder of one of the biggest nonfiction literary magazines, Creative Nonfiction.
Gearing up to teach my workshop on Flash Nonfiction in two weeks, I came across this interview with Gutkind in which he reminds writers that reading across genres enhances our skills as storytellers, especially when it comes to fiction and non.
All of us need to learn a lot more about the world than we ever did in the past, and the way in which we learn is through story. We don’t just learn by someone throwing information at us. We learn because people tell stories, and the stories are learning experiences. . . . Who can tell a story better than a fiction writer?
The interview is less than four minutes. You can’t finish your a cup of coffee that fast (if you can, holy cow). And, if the topic–of how studying techniques in fiction can enhance your nonfiction skills–piques your interest, consider joining us on August 24th for more about FLASH nonfiction, where we’ll discuss two major challenges in this sub-genre: Space and Telling the Truth.
Registration is easy. The hard part? Choosing the perfect pen and notebook to bring to class.
* Photo credit: imelenchon on morguefile.com
I totally agree that reading fiction helps in writing non-fiction. Readers like a good story no matter what.
Yes! And vice-versa: the practice of writing flash nonfiction does just as much in tightening up skills in fiction. Just another reminder that everything we do in relation to writing carries us forward.