Tom Chaffin Non-Fiction Workshop

Only Connect: Exploring the Essentials of Creating Book-length Non-Fiction Narratives, a class in four sessions conducted by Tom Chaffin, Ph. D., acclaimed author, historian and biographer; Georgia Author of the Year 2023, Biography and Memoir division, Georgia Writers Association.
 
Program: Four two-hour sessions presented by author, biographer and historian Tom Chaffin, Ph.D., on the creation of book-length works of history, biography, memoir and other non-fiction narratives. Fee: $400 for all 4 classes, limited enrollment.

First Session, March 23: Developing and evaluating an idea for a book, ascertaining its sources and the demands of writing it. The session will also provide tips for assessing your own qualifications and access to sources required to meet those demands, as well as the envisioned work's likely audience.

Second session, March 30: Developing the outline of chapters and writing the book-proposal.

Third session, April 6: Research and writing the book's drafts, and problem-solving along the way.

Fourth session, April 13: Completing the book, fact-checking, and what to expect and your role during each stage of the editing process. Also tips for promoting the finished book.

This class is intended for aspiring authors of history, biography, memoir and other book-length non-fiction narratives. Aspiring authors include journalists who seek to develop a book about a story they've covered; current and past graduate-students and current or retired academics who seek to convert a thesis or dissertation into a book-length narrative for a non-academic audience; and others who aspire to write a memoir, a biography, a work of history or other types of non-fiction narrative.

The creation of book-length non-fiction narratives—whether of history, contemporary events, memoir, or biography— involves myriad processes. The four sessions that comprise this program will shed light on the full breadth of those processes. Topics will include developing and refining the book idea, determining the envisioned work's audience, writing the outline and proposal, and researching and writing the book's chapters. Discussions of research will cover the locating of primary and secondary written-sources and, if needed, living sources. We'll also discuss preparing for and conducting interviews, the uses of written primary-sources, and the
organization of notes. Discussions of writing will include pacing the narrative, finding its appropriate voice, the setting of scenes and, within chapters, alternating between scenes and narration.

Attention will also be given to the pros and cons of visiting places to be depicted in narratives. We'll also discuss plot and perspective, the development of characters, story arcs, and the use of literary techniques to enhance dramatic tension and otherwise engage readers. Attention will also be given to ethical issues associated with the research, writing and publication of non-fiction narratives.

Other discussions will cover problem-solving when the research or writing hits a snag, knowing when the manuscript is done, fact-checking, locating illustrations for the book and securing publication rights for them. Sessions will not entail actual writing but will include general advice and tips on writing and rewriting. Relatedly, we'll discuss evaluating and finding flaws in the manuscript, the stages of the editing process and your roles therein as the project moves into page proofs.

Instructor: Tom Chaffin, Ph. D., is the author of eight books of history and biography, most recently of Odyssey: Young Charles Darwin, the Beagle, and the Voyage that Changed the World, published in 2022 by Pegasus Books. He spent his early career in journalism, based in Atlanta, Savannah, New York, San Francisco and Paris.

During those years and since, his work has appeared in such publications as the New York Times, the Daily Beast, Smithsonian, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Harper's, the Los Angeles Times, the Nation, Time, Natural History, Harper's and American Scholar. Chaffin was a frequent contributor to the New York Times‘ acclaimed “Disunion” series on the American Civil War. He has taught both journalism and history at several universities, including Emory and the University of Georgia.