YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP

The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction—from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between.

A how-to guide from the “Godfather behind creative nonfiction” (Vanity Fair) and founder and editor of Creative Nonfiction.

What is creative nonfiction? It’s simple: true stories, well told. And yet—it’s not so simple.  Telling true stories, well, can be hard work, but worthwhile.  It’s the hottest genre in the publishing industry. 

Now, Lee Gutkind offers his unvarnished wisdom to help you write the best creative nonfiction possible, from rags-to-riches-to-rags tell-all memoir to literary journalism and everything in between.  

Frank, to-the-point, and always entertaining, Gutkind describes and illustrates each and every aspect of the genre with depth and clarity. Invaluable tools and exercises illuminate key steps from defining a concept and establishing a writing process to the final product. Offering new ways of understanding the genre, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up helps all writers of all skill levels thoroughly expand and stylize their work.  Read More

“The essential and definitive guide to creative nonfiction. It is engaging to read as it is useful. Any writer or reader will find it indispensable and, frankly, inspiring.”

-- Susan Orlean , New Yorker writer and author of The Orchid Thief and Rin Tin Tin

“Lee Gutkind has written the bible for creative nonfiction. Written with muscular, driving, clear prose, it’s hard to put down. Even if you never want to write, you’ll want to read this.”

-- Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones

Lee Gutkind, recognized by Vanity Fair as “the Godfather behind creative nonfiction,” is the author andeditor of more than 25 books and founder and editor of Creative Nonfiction, the first and largest literary magazine to publish narrative nonfiction exclusively.  He is Distinguished Writer-in-Residence in the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at Arizona State University and a professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication

Gutkind has lectured to audiences around the world—from China to the Czech Republic, from Australia to Africa to Egypt.  He has appeared on many national radio and televisions shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central), Good Morning America, National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation and All Things Considered, as well as BBC World.

Gutkind is the recipient of grants and awards from many different organizations, from the National Endowment for the Arts to the National Science Foundation.

A prolific author, his most recent books include An Immense New Power to Heal: The Promise of Personalized Medicine and an anthology, At the End of Life: True Stories About How We Die.

His new book, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up, is described by Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief and Rin Tin Tin, as the “essential and definitive guide to creative nonfiction . . . engaging, useful, indispensable and inspiring.”