Muse & the Marketplace 2018

We all know good writing depends on rich sensory details to bring a story alive. Those details may be easy enough to come by when writing fiction, when you can just "make them up," but how can you find them when writing non-fiction and memoir, where you need details that are specific enough to make a story pop, but that also must be accurate and true? In this session, investigative reporter Michael Blanding shares sources and techniques on how to uncover facts from public records, online databases, interviews, and even weather archives, and work them into narratives to craft richly detailed scenes. In addition, he will discuss how to use investigative techniques in memoir, turning the lens on oneself to corroborate memories and offer new avenues for self-exploration. The session will include a brainstorming exercise and a Q&A to address specific investigative challenges.