Creative Non-fiction Writing: Tell the Real Story

By keeping our eyes wide open we can discover life experiences worthy of transforming into remarkable stories. Journalist and author Katie Hafner has honed her craft of telling true stories, with over 20 years of writing experience working for publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. She has also written six non-fiction books.

In this course, she teaches you the art of writing true stories through the productivity method: The Milestone Approach. Discover how to break down and map out the entire research and writing process, from identifying your central theme to sharing your writing with others. Explore the art of writing non-fiction — true stories, well told.

Get to know journalist and author Katie Hafner as she discusses her professional background and experience, along with the writers who have influenced her work.

Decide on the topic of your narrative with Katie’s guidance and identify the main themes. Then build a structure for your piece, as you explore which outlining process works for you, and create a productivity spreadsheet. Next, identify what research needs to be done.

Discover how to set up your productivity sheet as a way to break down tasks into achievable milestones and assignments. With this as a roadmap, assess and carry out your research. Hear Katie’s tips on establishing subjects, forming good questions, and selecting the right quotes from your interviews. She then guides you from note-taking to writing your first draft.

Edit and polish your draft as Katie shares editing techniques and the importance of sharing your work for feedback. Ensure all the final points of your spreadsheet are ticked off before ending the course with advice on best practices for pitching to, and working with, an editor.