LITERARY JOURNALISM AND NARRATIVE

JOURNALISM
•ARE TERMS USED INTERCHANGEABLY ABOUT
A FORM OR TYPE OF CREATIVE NONFICTION
IN WHICH FACTUAL REPORTING IS
FACILITATED THROUGH THE UTILIZATION OF
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES AND STYLISTIC
STRATEGIES THAT ARE MAINLY OBSERVED IN
FICTION WRITING.
NORMAN SIMS (1984)
•IN HIS ANTHOLOGY, HE EXPLAINED THAT IT
DEMANDS COMPLEX IMMERSION AND EVEN
COMPLICATED SUBJECTS. HE ADDED THAT THE
VOICE OF THE WRITER SURFACES TO SHOW THAT AN
AUTHOR IS AT WORK.
“LITERARY JOURNALISM IS NOT FICTION—THE PEOPLE ARE REAL, AND THE EVENTS
OCCURRED—NOR IS IT JOURNALISM IN A TRADITIONAL SENSE. THERE IS
INTERPRETATION, A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW, AND (OFTEN) EXPERIMENTATION
WITH STRUCTURE AND CHRONOLOGY. ANOTHER ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF LITERARY
JOURNALISM IS ITS FOCUS. RATHER THAN EMPHASIZING INSTITUTIONS, LITERARY
JOURNALISM EXPLORES THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THOSE
INSTITUTIONS.”

(JAN WHITT, WOMEN IN AMERICAN JOURNALISM: A NEW HISTORY. UNIVERSITY OF

ILLINOIS PRESS, 2008)
THOMAS B. CONNERY
•HE EXPLAINED THAT LITERARY JOURNALISM IS
PRINTED NONFICTION PROSE IN WHICH ITS
VERIFIABLE CONTENT IS SHAPED INTO A STORY BY
USE OF BOTH NARRATIVE AND RHETORICAL
TECHNIQUES.
•LITERARY JOURNALISM ATTEMPTS TO
COMMUNICATE FACTS THROUGH
NARRATIVE STORYTELLING AND LITERARY
TECHNIQUES.
•TEXTS UNDER SUCH FORM SERVE THE PURPOSE OF
INFORMING AND ENLIGHTENING THE READERS
ABOUT A CERTAIN TOPIC OR ISSUE. ALSO, THE
WRITER MUST GO BEYOND THE PURPOSE OF
ENLIGHTENING THE READERS’ MINDS WITH THE
USE OF NEW INFORMATION BUT ALSO TO
ENTERTAIN THEM BY RECREATING THE SCENE.
•IT CONSIDERS THE REPORTING OF FACTS THAT ARE
OUTSIDE OR BEYOND THE WRITER’S LIFE. ALSO, IT
CAN BE NOTED THAT THE WRITER MAINLY UTILIZES
VARIOUS LITERARY DEVICES, SUCH AS DIALOGUE,
SETTING, CHARACTERIZATION, AND PLOT
STRUCTURE. ALL THESE CONTRIBUTE TO THE
TOTALITY OF THE PIECE OF WRITING.
JOHN E. HARTSOCK
•HE POINTED OUT THAT THE WORK ITSELF
SHOULD HIGHLIGHT THE HIGHER TRUTH. THE
STORIES ARE CRAFTED TO REPRESENT A
LARGER TRUTH.
•UNLIKE THE PERSONAL ESSAY OR
MEMOIR, THE LITERARY,
JOURNALISTIC TEXTS USE THE
THIRD-PERSON POINT OF VIEW.
•IT CONTAINS ACCURATE, WELL-
RESEARCHED INFORMATION, AND IS
ALSO INTERESTING TO READ.
•IT LOOKS AT INTRIGUING PEOPLE, HUMAN
EMOTIONS, AND REAL SITUATIONS. IT
PROVIDES THE PRIVATE STORY BEHIND THE
PUBLIC STORY.
•IT REACHES PAST THE ORDINARY
BY BLENDING THE REPORTAGE OF
FACTS WITH THE WRITING STYLE
OF FICTION
 FUNDAMENTAL STEPS IN WRITING
LITERARY JOURNALISTIC TEXTS
•SEARCH AND CHOOSE A TOPIC.
•RESEARCH ABOUT THE CHOSEN TOPIC AND GATHER RELEVANT
DETAILS.
•WRITE A DRAMATIC STORY.
•INCLUDE A LEAD, FACTS/CONTENT, AND ENDING.
EXPLORE YOUR SUBJECT BY MEANS
OF PERSONAL REPORTAGE. CONDUCT
INTERVIEWS AND CONSIDER LIBRARY
AND INTERNET RESEARCH. IMMERSE
YOURSELF IN THE STORY.
DEVELOP AN OUTLINE OF YOUR STORY.
IDENTIFY YOUR LEAD AS WELL AS THE
IMPORTANT POINTS YOU WISH TO MAKE.
PREPARE THE ESSENTIAL FACTS. PLAN ON
HOW YOU WILL END THE TEXT.
CONSIDER THE INCLUSION OF A LEAD
AND A STRONG ENDING. REMEMBER THAT
THE LEAD TELLS SOMETHING IMPORTANT
ABOUT YOUR ESSAY; A FINAL MESSAGE, IN
THE END, IS EXPRESSED. CLARIFY THE FINAL
POINT YOU WANT TO MAKE.
EXHIBIT YOUR VOICE. REVEAL YOUR
VOICE BY YOUR CHOICE OF DICTION,
CHOICE OF SENTENCE PATTERNS, CHOICE
OF LITERARY DEVICES, SUCH AS
ALLITERATION, IMAGERY, METAPHOR,
SIMILE, AND SO FORTH.
FEATURE A TRUE STORY ABOUT A
PERSON, PLACE, EVENT, OR IDEA
THROUGH WRITING. ENSURE THAT
YOUR STORY IS INTERESTING AND
INFORMATIVE.
ESTABLISH DRAMATIC SCENES
AS MAY BE EVIDENT IN THE
ACTION, DIALOGUE, DETAILS, AND
SETTING.
NARROW YOUR TOPIC AN BE
MINDFUL OF A CERTAIN PERIOD.
APPLY THE USE OF VARIOUS
LITERARY DEVICES.
RECOUNT THE STORY USING
THE THIRD-PERSON POINT OF
VIEW.
ENSURE THAT YOUR WRITING
REVEALS AN IDEA OR TRUTH THAT IS
UNIVERSAL FOR THE READERS TO
GRASP THE VALUE AND
SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR WORK.
BE GUIDED BY THE FUNDAMENTAL
PURPOSES OF WRITING LITERARY,
JOURNALISTIC TEXTS—TO INFORM
AND TO ENLIGHTEN.
RESEARCH EXTENSIVELY
ON THE CHOSEN TOPIC.