Good Prose examines the technical craft of nonfiction through the decades-long collaboration between author Tracy Kidder and his editor, Richard Todd. The text breaks down the structural components of factual storytelling, focusing on how a writer establishes a consistent point of view and develops a reliable narrative voice. Kidder and Todd analyze specific challenges such as organizing complex chronologies, maintaining accuracy while using fictional techniques, and managing the ethical relationship between the writer and their subjects. They provide concrete examples of how to revise drafts by tightening transitions and removing stylistic clutter.
Students of journalism, memoirists, and professional editors read this book to understand the mechanics of the editorial process. It serves as a practical manual for anyone struggling to balance factual reporting with engaging prose. Readers walk away with specific methods for evaluating their own manuscripts, tools for resolving conflicts between narrative flow and historical precision, and a clearer perspective on the collaborative dynamic required to move a draft from a rough concept to a finished publication.
- Published
- 2013
- Language
- EN
