Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process

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Playful, profound essays on the craft of writing.

If you're someone with a passion for writing, whether you're a budding author or an experienced scribe, 'Draft No. 4' could serve as a crucial companion on your literary journey. John McPhee doesn't just teach you the ropes; he invites you into the heart of the writing process, sharing personal anecdotes that make the craft feel intimate and tangible. It's like sitting down with a wise mentor who knows how to mix wisdom with a sense of humor.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process

Regular price
Unit price
per
Compare to estimated retail price: S$23.67  
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ISBN: 9780374537975
Authors: John McPhee
Date of Publication: 2018-09-04
Format: Paperback
Related Topics: Essays, Memoir, Biography
Goodreads rating: 4.09
(rated by 4149 readers)

Description

The long-awaited guide to writing long-form nonfiction by the legendary author and teacher. Draft No. 4 is a master class on the writer's craft. In a series of playful, expertly wrought essays, John McPhee shares insights he has gathered over his career and has refined while teaching at Princeton University, where he has nurtured some of the most esteemed writers of recent decades. McPhee offers definitive guidance in the decisions regarding arrangement, diction, and tone that shape nonfiction pieces, and he presents extracts from his work, subjecting them to wry scrutiny. In one essay, he considers the delicate art of getting sources to tell you what they might not otherwise reveal. In another, he discusses how to use flashback to place a bear encounter in a travel narrative while observing that "readers are not supposed to notice the structure. It is meant to be about as visible as someone's bones." The result is a vivid depiction of the writing process, from reporting to drafting to revising--and revising, and revising. Draft No. 4 is enriched by multiple diagrams and by personal anecdotes and charming reflections on the life of a writer. McPhee describes his enduring relationships with The New Yorker and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and recalls his early years at Time magazine. Throughout, Draft No. 4 is enlivened by his keen sense of writing as a way of being in
 

Playful, profound essays on the craft of writing.

If you're someone with a passion for writing, whether you're a budding author or an experienced scribe, 'Draft No. 4' could serve as a crucial companion on your literary journey. John McPhee doesn't just teach you the ropes; he invites you into the heart of the writing process, sharing personal anecdotes that make the craft feel intimate and tangible. It's like sitting down with a wise mentor who knows how to mix wisdom with a sense of humor.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.