Nieman Storyboard

How Sophie Elmhirst wrote a bestselling nonfiction book that reads like fiction

Story Annotations

How Sophie Elmhirst wrote a bestselling nonfiction book that reads like fiction
The author of ‘A Marriage at Sea’ found her voice — and a deep archive of diaries, films, and interviews — to tell the true story of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey

Mallary Tenore Tarpley

‘I don’t think this is a story about resilience or hope’

From the Editor

‘I don’t think this is a story about resilience or hope’

Kerry Howley returns to Camp Mystic. Plus: Remembering Tracy Kidder

Mark Armstrong

How Stephen Rodrick prepared for his story about ICE occupying a small town

Story Craft

How Stephen Rodrick prepared for his story about ICE occupying a small town

Plus: Audio Flux wants your (short) story, and Tom Junod on publishing his first book at age 67

Mark Armstrong

Annotation: Irin Carmon follows the experiences of five pregnant women in the post-Dobbs era

Story Annotations

Annotation: Irin Carmon follows the experiences of five pregnant women in the post-Dobbs era

‘I felt a sense of connection, rage, and sadness about what was going to happen to anyone who was pregnant in this country, whether they wanted to be or not’

Carly Stern

Nieman Storyboard’s guides on storytelling

The art of pitching: How to sell your book or story idea

Story Craft

The art of pitching: How to sell your book or story idea

Editors from The Atavist, Wired, and more share what they’re looking for in a story or book proposal.
How to craft a narrative: Everything you need to know

Story Craft

How to craft a narrative: Everything you need to know

A four-part series on the key elements of nonfiction storytelling, including scene, character and endings.

Lauren Kessler

The Nieman Storyboard guide to books on storytelling

Story Craft

The Nieman Storyboard guide to books on storytelling

Journalists, authors, producers, filmmakers, and Nieman Storyboard readers share more than 40 books that inspire their work.

Mallary Tenore Tarpley

How to interview for narrative vs. news

Story Craft

How to interview for narrative vs. news

From broad and open-ended to narrow and specific: Journalist Kim Cross’s five-part series on interviewing for narrative nonfiction.

Kim Cross

Strictly Q&A

Journalist Tricia Romano on the pros and cons of writing an oral history

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Journalist Tricia Romano on the pros and cons of writing an oral history

The author of ‘The Freaks Came Out to Write,’ knew that her book about The Village Voice needed to be an oral history. She soon learned the storytelling challenges that came with it

Mark Armstrong

Soledad O’Brien on character-driven storytelling in documentaries, and the power of being a witness

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Soledad O’Brien on character-driven storytelling in documentaries, and the power of being a witness

The veteran journalist and documentarian shares how her late mother’s act of defiance is a practice we should all embody

Christina M. Tapper

Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas on deconstructing ‘true crime’ in podcasting and journalism

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas on deconstructing ‘true crime’ in podcasting and journalism

The team behind ‘Hush’ discuss the ethics of narrative journalism and creating a serialized podcast that's sensitive to victims and families

Marina Leigh

Story Annotations

Annotation: How Sophie Elmhirst wrote a bestselling nonfiction book that reads like fiction

Story Annotations

Annotation: How Sophie Elmhirst wrote a bestselling nonfiction book that reads like fiction

The author of ‘A Marriage at Sea’ found her voice — and a deep archive of diaries, films, and interviews — to tell the true story of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey

Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Annotation: Irin Carmon follows the experiences of five pregnant women in the post-Dobbs era

Story Annotations

Annotation: Irin Carmon follows the experiences of five pregnant women in the post-Dobbs era

‘I felt a sense of connection, rage, and sadness about what was going to happen to anyone who was pregnant in this country, whether they wanted to be or not’

Carly Stern

Annotation: How Brendan O’Meara Reconstructs Steve Prefontaine's Legendary Races in ‘The Front Runner’

Story Annotations

Annotation: How Brendan O’Meara Reconstructs Steve Prefontaine's Legendary Races in ‘The Front Runner’

The journalist, podcaster, and biographer shares tips on writing scenes you can’t witness firsthand, and getting in the head of characters no longer around to interview

Kim Cross

Megan Greenwell on holding out for the once-in-a-lifetime book idea

Story Annotations

Megan Greenwell on holding out for the once-in-a-lifetime book idea

The author of “Bad Company” on the merits of waiting until she was seized by an obsession and couldn’t let go

Carly Stern

Story Craft

How Stephen Rodrick prepared for his story about ICE occupying a small town

How Stephen Rodrick prepared for his story about ICE occupying a small town

Mark Armstrong

Getting the story: How 7 writers found their idea and main characters

Getting the story: How 7 writers found their idea and main characters

Emilia Wisniewski

High-impact storytelling in college admissions essays, and what we can learn from it

High-impact storytelling in college admissions essays, and what we can learn from it

Roy Peter Clark

How to end a story

How to end a story

Mark Armstrong

Nieman Storyboard Newsletter

Using diaries, photos, and films to create narrative magic

From the Editor

Using diaries, photos, and films to create narrative magic

The story behind Sophie Elmhirst’s bestseller, ‘A Marriage at Sea.’ Plus: Joi Lee on returning to the U.S. to cover ICE

Mark Armstrong

‘I don’t think this is a story about resilience or hope’

From the Editor

‘I don’t think this is a story about resilience or hope’

Kerry Howley returns to Camp Mystic. Plus: Remembering Tracy Kidder

Mark Armstrong

A Patrick Radden Keefe reading list

From the Editor

A Patrick Radden Keefe reading list

Boston University's Power of Narrative conference. Plus: J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project Awards

Mark Armstrong

How Stephen Rodrick prepared for his story about ICE occupying a small town

From the Editor Story Craft

How Stephen Rodrick prepared for his story about ICE occupying a small town

Plus: Audio Flux wants your (short) story, and Tom Junod on publishing his first book at age 67

Mark Armstrong