Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction

280 Pages·1994·29.225 MB·English

by  Jon Franklin

•'iAanll lal ni, m presisnitrodvuect taoid oinf fiscuubl­t
jectd,neo widtihs anncianngFd rankolri.pn ro vicdoens­
cinsoe-,n eot nise.pn sis. an l i.v eealsyy,- to-follow style
tharetf'hresis nfgrelfeyro tmh ues u'aclre awtriivtei ng'
jargoInt.a'te sc hnthiaqbetug ei njnoiunrnalgia snetsdv, e n
thomsoeree xperiewnicfilenlded ,s pechieallaplnfuydl
reveaFlrianngkk.nl owiwhnsha ett' asl akbioanungtd
shahireksson wlewdigatedh m igreanbelroes ity.''
-KirkRuesv iews
••Learntoiw nrgit thseeh osrtt oaryl,wa ac yhsa lfolrenge
budding fiicfostr Fi roann. k.wtl.rhi iroenty earls,
roatod s ucicfnee saswt ruirett odianTygh. o roughly and
methodichaesl hloyw,s aspihriontow g' njaoiulrnalists
dowtnho'epe raetlievmoeeaf ns ttso ry�omplication/
resolunt,flai sohbfoacreks,h adoawnipdna gc,e- and,
throculgohas nea loyfts woiohfs i p sri ze-wfienan­ing
a
turesw,ha tot d oa nidwn h oardetrt do o i. t .s o.u nd,
fertbooikl,ree c ommefonrad tetdae iffenceitw nirgvi ting
skills."
-Library Journal
JOFRANN KLIiNasw ell-pkinoiowncnnere earnt oinvfiec tion.
Hiisn nowvoairktthn ie uv seeo l fi tetecraryh niiqthenue nso n­
fictsihortos nto nryo,v anedel x,p leansawstooaryhny ithe m fi rst
PulitzerPrize s evaewrarded i thne c ategooriffee saw tureri gti n
(19an7de9 x)p olryan ajtou(1rn9aI8lan5idd )si.mtt Writioin ogn
for Shtioryboo,sk si ncTlhuMoedle ceul:oe fs the Mind, Guinea
Pig Doctors (wJiS.thu therNlot anQdu)Miteirac, le a ( wAiltha n
Doelpand) ,S hoclctrauma( wAiltDoeanhl pH)ei.a s proafets sor
theU nivoeOfrre sgiotyn .
WRITING
FORS TORY
of
CreftS ecrets
DramNoanfitcitci on
b aT wo-Time
y
PuliPtrziWeziren ner
JONF RANKLIN
AP LUMBEO OK
PLUME
Publibsyth hPeeden gOuroiunp
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PengBuookisnA ustLtdnl,Ri ian 1Vwictoriooda,,A ustralia
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PenaBuooiknLs tR de,g iOsffiteredc Hearmso:n dsMwiortddhl,eE senalll,an d
Fipursbtl ibsyPhed l uameIn,m porDufit ntontS lpaed ti,v oifs ion
PenaBuoolknUs S IAnc Thi.s l 1a uanthori zeredpr ionafhardct o veedri tion
publibyshedAt henePuubml lPre1vheni.o puubslliyisa nMhed e netdoirt ion.
ForI nformadaclret11Ai tohenne Puubml ians Ihemrspr,oi fn t
MacmiPlulbalnCi o18.h66,Thl inrdA1 v eNneueYw,ork ,NY ..1 0022.
FiPrsltu Primen tiSneapte,mbe r1,994
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MEREDWIITLHLS ON
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AlRli sgR hetserUvsedeb dyPe rmi11ion
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UOISTBUTDR ADl!MAIUOKI-SMTARRCAAD A
LIDOACOFRN YG RCEASST ACLAOGNR UDM ll!8R6:- 63378
Priintnth Ulden iStetdao tAfem se rica
Witlhioumtti hetri i1nhu1tn 1dc eorp yrerseirvJeahdbot vn eop, art o tfh is
publimcaabeytre iporodnu csetdoi,iedon i r n trodiuncatretrieed ov als yste,om r
transmiitanten fdyo, rmo ,byr a nmeanys (electronimecch,a nipchotocopayli,n g,
recordiorno gt,herw isew)i,tt houhpriorte writpetermni sosbofit othnhe
copyorwinagenhtrdthea bovpeu blofit shbookhi.es r
IOOKS AUA VAIALQTAU BALTNEYDT IIICOUMTI WHEUNS IInoMOTDJ!TO PIIODUCff
ORll!II VICES.FO RI NFORMPLAl!TIOAINWIUTJ!I TO PUMIUMMA IUTIDINVIIIONO,
PENGU900I0N U SIAN 3C7.H5,U DSOfflNl lNTI,YW O RNKIY,WORK 10014.
Tot hmee moorfi es
BENJAMIMNA X FRANKLIN,
whtoa umgeth hta t
woradrsse h artphseawrni tchblades
and
G.VERNB LASDELL,
whsoh omweed
hotwuo s teh em
witchuotumttyi sneglf
Acknd9omwleents
ANA UTHWORH Ow riabookte ss uactshh dirasw,ii tnnh ae
proceosnsal ifoefttra iimnaein nedax per,io ewneacs e
deobftg rattioet vuepederyno nw hhoa ssi anificantly
influheinlscih edfi vesi, e wpoainnthd,ia sc cumoufl ation
skianldhl iprossfe ssipoowthn.a l
Mya bildoifovnregw ordansd,m yre spetfoc rth eir
powecra,vm ieta heo smoocfsh iisl fdrohmmoody m other.
Teachpelraasyb eirodal ande ,p articuolnpareril.ny c ipal
iLenban onM,i ssSouodri ia.pod l icieSnman antF eeN ,e w
MexiScodo ih.du ndoredfothes rs whwoe benftore me ,
annde rvh eeaordfm eb,u notne thelesshsam petlym ind:
AsimBoavl,Hz eacm,i nSgawlaiySn,teg ienrWbe,oc lkf,e
.. . t hleig soetos nan do nan do n.
Thesepeo plaelh lada ni mpBauctttw .to i meisnm y
liafeIs,s toodatc rossaronadcdso ntaedtgm eopiilntngh e
vii
viii AcknowkdgNnt.r
wrondirectgi onI,w us avfroedm mysbeyml efwn h o
tookth et itmeco are Th.e arey the onetosw hothmiboo sk
idedsi camtedy;s orrowi thsa neti thleirtov read e di t.
Thefi rstw um yf atrhB,ee njFaranmkilni n.
The time wu 19a5nd7I w uf ourteen.A sagri ngioan
predominantlyM exican-sAmericchooanilS n a nFet,Na e w
MexiIhc adobec ,o me thev icotfthei mk ionfdrac ial
bullayniidnn tgi mthiadetal,tse iwowhenurethe , f ateo f
nonwhWierete sspo.n tdedhe s ame wamyi noriadotlye s­
cenatlswdo a,yb sa ntdoigenthergi gnan gfsi,fnr oprot ­
tectiaonnthed n f orerv enwgheicw,he c mieodu wti th
switchbbilcadescy,hc aleandi nzsig,pu nPrettys .s oonI,
WU the ringloethfadere w hites.
Myi nvolcvameetmem ony ft ather 'ast tenotinnoein g ht
wheInc ame homsoem ewwhorsea tf owre arafte r a
diswpiuthanotherte gango vseomerth iinmgportan tI
donrecall'.t I h ade xpected mydad tobe mad, andh ad
steeledm yself against hisanger . Instead beaeemed interested ,
curioaundcs o,nc ernHedei. n troducecl me ttohe h ealing
baolafms teako vaeb rl acekyc eleaned, mysc alwpound s,
andsat isfiedh imthsealmtfyri ghand-whth ichh adbee n
holthed izniggpu wnh einbt l euwp-t tihladal l ilts
figersn .
Asbe bandaged meu pbe encouraged me tota l,ank dbe
lispatitenede ntlanyds ympatheticalul Iye xplainedm y
actionwsi wthord sl ik"eri ghandt "" jusandt "ieqcue­a"l
itandy "." truth.Pre"tty soon IW IS sobbinoaum ty
feeloihefnl gpsfrul setratisosandn angerat t hdei sc­rimina
tiIoh nads uffered.
The discrinmatiiownu real enough,o fc ourseand, I
wutoo YOIJDI,too innocent, too emotioinnavlotoll yv ed
drawper_s pectivefro mthe facthatt imons ptl aceiswt u
the whitewsho d iscriminated against the MexiScoman ys .
father,w iathc agseyl f-restrainItw ouclodmeto apprec i­
ateon lwyhe nIbecame af ather mysedlifdn,try' tottal k
lotog imec.I nshetea agreedd withme .Y eahDamned.
rightThe! w orldw ua rotten placean,d i otu ghttobe
Acknowledgments ix
changedA.n dIm igahstw elbel t hoen weh oc haedn g
it-exctheaptbet,i nfgo urteeInd ,i dknn'othw o w.
Oh yeah?I d idnM'atni,?tf h paitgpe u hna wdorked ...
Nab,m yf atshaeirTd h.aw ta sthe w rongwa y-not
becausei tw asil lemgianyldo, u b,u betc auistde i 'dto
work.I wto ubel dal ittdlieffi ceuvletfn,om re t,ok iallll
the MexicianSn asnF teaS. w itchbalnadzdei gspu nwse re
the toolosfa dolescTeruen retvso.l utitohnoearin eess,
whoactual ly DIDc hantghweeor ldu,s eddi ffeirennstt ru­
mentThse.y u sedw ordst,y pewritaenparsdpe, r .
Iw asa,sy omui gihmta gdiunbei,Bo uuatsln .li glhotn g
wetalk ed ,an �t alkaentdda, l kanded t,a lkaedns,do me­
hohwe w orked himsag iocn m eB.y d awInh abedc omae
real, grown-urepv olutiaondnl aarytw,eew r e notu tto ­
getanhedrh ebo ughmtea be at-Uunpd erwood.
Ratheqru icIdk rliyafted w afyro mth eg angO.ne o fm y
bestfrie ndsw alsa tkeirli lnaekn di ffieg hatn,ad n other
wentot j afiolmr urd erB.u Itw asant'tt h orusmeb loers ,
anyo then.Iw aast h ome,w itthhU en derwoodd,o ing
sometMhoireIn mgpo rt.a nt
Thes tuIwff rote ,o fc oursew,a asd oledsrcieMvnyet l .
fathceoulrd t umme i nt hdei recotfiw oonrd sb,ua tsa n
electricihean ,c oulhdenmel' ptl earn tou steh eImn.s tead,
he talked aboutart .S of othre ne xte igyhersta, fi rsats a
highsc hooslt udaenntdht e ansa U .SN.a vjyo urnalIi st,
kepttry inga,ntry di nga,ntry di ng-anfda i,la innfdga il•
inandg ,f aigl.i n
Buitnth ee arl1y960 ss,ho rtlayft emryf athdeathe,r 's
thNea vyse ntm et oW ashinDg.toCna.,n, id n tthoe
clutcohefos n 0e. Y emB lasdell.
AllH ands
Vern,th en ewesd iotfor magaziwnaeans,
expert,acerb ic anadn ci(eperhapsn tfi ftyo)lm dan witah
bad stomacha nadm obiflaecec apabolfse h owteinn g
thousandd iffegraderesn to fd isgHuets otpeopl.ld e h eha d
narcolepsbyu,tt h trueth wasb ew asos bored withhij so b
he hadg reat difficuslttayya iwnakeg.T okee p bicsi rcula­
tigoonin gh em adaeb obobfyt argettihnwego rsmto,s t
illiwterateri teornh isst aff-apnrodv ithnaght e O,.V ern
x A.clinowltdgmtnts
Blasdceolutlle,dah cihhmo twwo ri tSeoa. ss oo asn h e
samwyfi rpsiteo ccfeo I pbe yc aVmeern p'rost6 g6.
Hiboredosm wamsa tconhedl byym ydesperation to learn,
anfodrfi vyee arsIs uffeurenddeh ri Im'.pd um tycop y
inhtibosa saknwedat t ocuohttf h ceo moemfry e yuen til
hep icikutep Hd.e 'sdoe mtigmetetots h seceo ndp age
befohreeb lanScohmeeedsth. ei 'cmdo vheifrsac wei th
hihsa nadnssdee ma bouttoc ryOt.h etri mheest' umd
arounidnh issw icvheatoli s rtd aires guosuotetfhd ilsy
pirec wtiundaottw hePe ntabegloonSw o.m ethei'mde s
juts tgsool eeIpo,c.f o uwrsoeu,dl iadthe o usdeathansd.
Evenhteup'audlhl lilym sellfoo aktmt oe sternlg ye,th er,
anpodi hnitfis n gaettrh s et racihgheah itekr pbe ts ihdies
desIk's.dl oivntekior at n sdibott to,mo nthe edogthfee
chawihrih,lep e roce eeddtri op m yc otpsoyhred sW.h en
hew adso wniemth e I 'cdra wbclak tm oy t ypewriantder
doio tv aegra ainandg, a ainandg, a uinnhet, pi roln ounced
ireatd abTlheuI.ls earned tow ritew itihnoisuratptio orn
egreol,y sionlgue ponl kyn owlaeniddngt ehprocess,e
becaamp ero fels.siona
Fiyveearsa t methrceyo Vfe lrne mef wti atnuh l cae r,
discaic pralfaitnna,del ,o fovret heo lmdan tha tw as
equtoa wlh aIot ne fc: eflomtry f atWhheenrthe . d ay
rmacamlelt yh haect a lmle�e vdae nrtd o mel dh ceo uld
techa nmoem oreIw, a asss a adIsw atshd eah yed iaed
declaadtee r.
Sintchtee hneh reabe veeon th ewrhstao u gmeh,tbe ­
frienmdede,ed·f emne,ad enhdde lmpedea loInth gi.nk ,
foirn stoanfDc reE.,.Bar iN ewstohmUe,n ivoefrs ity
Marylapnrodsf oserw hog omte a s cholwarshehnii tp
lookleidIkw eag sion gt goo b rokanedh atov edrop o ut
ofc ollI�e ignkoe f.K elGliyl berta,n oAtllhH eandsr
vetewhrioann ,trod umec edt Ernoi eI mhtohffthe,enc ity
ediottfoh Erev eSnun-andi ngo Ernfi eh imswehbelonf t,
l
theru ltehosi mreer ioguhottcf o elge.
It hionfAk l aDoenl pm,y w ritbiundgand dyc o ­
conspwihrkoae ttpeotlr ml,eIi w naggs ood wheIwn a s
begiMtoih nagsv eeri doouusIb t thsio.nkGf e oRrgode-
Acknowledgments xi
gersn,o wa ssimsatnaangtei dnigot fot rhE ev enSinugn ,
whoe ncouramgeae ndad r gumedyc asew heInran rough­
shodo vetrh set yboolke, a ndw hofi nalbelcya mmey
princiepdailtI ot rh.io nfJk a cLekm monm,y m anaging
editwohroh, a dt hceo nfidetnogc ievm ee s omething
newspreapopertre rarerlsy g ot-tfhreee dtoowm ri tweh at­
eveIpr l eased.
Thed ebIot w et hepesoep laen,pd art iculmayfar tlhye r
adnV ernc,o uolndlbe y re pabiydp assailnogmn ygs kills
tot hnee xgte neraTthiamoten a.tn eta chanidne gv,e ntu­
allDyrI .re nSeh ipmcahna,i rmoaftn he De partmenotf
Speecahn Mda sCso mmunicaatTot wisoonSnst aUtnei ­
versigtayvm,ee m yc hanSchehe.i remde a sa part -time
instructtohre-snat noodbd e himnewd h eInfl unkheda lf
ofm yfi rstc laFsisn.a alfltyse,er v eyraelars t eaching
part-taitTom wes oann tdh eantt hUen iveorsfiM taryy­
lanidnB altiCmoouren Rteye,Cs lee ghoderna,on ft he
UniveorfsM iatryyl aCnodl loefJg oeu rnalaipspomi,n ted
met oa f ulla-stsiocmiepa rotfees sorship.
Then arrateiy vouare aboutto re ade volovveedtr h e
yearsa sp arto fm yt eacshtrianteggI ytw. a fis rstas ylla­
busa,n dl atae sre otf h andoauntdls e ctuArests i.m e
passeIdbe gatno re ceirevqeu efosrtt sh mea teriaanld,
particulfoarrt lhayen notvaetresdoi fo" nMsr sK.e lsl y'
Monstaenrad,n 'u'm beorft eacuhregrsme edt oc ombei n
thmea teirnitaaolboo k.T hefi rstt od os ow asJ enny
Killgoaflth leBo anl,t iCmoourenS tcyh ooSly stael ma;te r
anmdo spetr usasiadvvocea tew aJs oE laiHnarries ,w ho
teachhiegsshc hooEln gliinms yhh omteo wonfE nid,
OklahoMmyca l.o sfreisetnt doosku pt hcea ll.
Buwtr itaibonuwgtr itisic nlgoc soem boaftt h sec ariest
sorta,n tdh ewree rem anfya lssteart Iswt.a tsh efsriee nds,
thewnh,ok epmtyn osteot hger indstone.
Oneo ft hweo rsnta ggwearsAs l aDoenl p,w homI
mentieoanreldAi neort.wh aesrL ynSnc heidwhhaou er,
refusetsom arry meo nt hgero udnst hsahte r'adth weer
remainienld o vFei.n altlhyew rea sm ye lddeasutg hter,
Tereswah,of eilnltt howe a yosfh efra tanhden ro ww rites
xii Acknowl1dg,unt1
fothreLa urIAeadelr .A lthreel read myc oapnymd ade
suggestionas-lovlfwi hrtualilwcereyh fo lloSwoed,.
withth erhei lpthe, m anuswcuric pto mpleted.
Buatm anusciorisnp theti nangda boo k another.T o
make the transitreqiuoinret dhew orkan df aiothf m y
indomiagetnatDomb,il nei Acbekland , th ei nsoifmg yh t
ediatoAtrth eneuTrims,hLande . Heurt usteu ggestions
made thiboosk af arbetter oneth ainwt o uotherwlidse
havbeee nF.i ntheal lbooyk wube friended byF rank
KurtzP,atri cMicaBl doann,Barbarad Campo,fi nec opy
editorsw hose sharpe ysaevsedme fromtri ppionveram y
ownw ordsmore timethans I am abouttado m it.
Withthoueht e andl pfri endosftheseh ippeop le,th is
book wounelvdeh ra beevne. I a,sw e lul a nywonheo
pifnrosthem wordsh ereoiwnte,hm ae de botgratf i tude.
JoFnr anklin
BALTIMOR1E9,8 5