Writing to Deadline: The Journalist at Work

Writing to Deadline takes the reader into the mind of the nonfiction writer, demystifying the process by which journalists clarify confusion and present significant information under demanding restrictions of time and space. This is an essential book for working journalists, professors and students of journalism, directors of newspaper inservice writing programs, and anyone who wants to learn more about:

• the news-writing process
• reporting and writing for surprise
• focusing your story
• draft writing
• editing and fine-tuning
• case studies of real journalists at work.

Library Journal

Known for decades as a writer's writer and a journalist's journalist, newsroom coach Murray (emeritus, English, Univ. of New Hampshire; columnist for the Boston Globe) has distilled his wisdom for those hoping to produce memorable nonfiction. Murray understands firsthand that great writing is the result of skilled information gathering and careful thinking, and he covers those topics as well as sentence structure and narrative flow. The book is also filled with explications of Murray's own published pieces, supplemented sensibly by interviews with other writers as well as analyses of their stories. While most of those writers are little known outside their home cities, their work will provide readers with welcome surprises. Although many nonfiction writers and writing teachers already have their favorite instructors, such as the oft-cited Jon Franklin, Madeline Blais, Walt Harrington, William Blundell, William Zinsser, James Stewart, and Jessica Mitford, this book ought to clinch Murray's place among them. Recommended for public and academic libraries.--Steve Weinberg, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

For nearly 60 years Donald Murray was a tireless explorer, chronicler, and advocate of writers, writing, and the teaching of writing. "We are coaches, encouragers, developers, creators of environments in which our students can experience the writing process for themselves," he wrote in 1972. Through the years and over numerous books, academic articles, newspaper columns, classroom handouts, writing conferences, and warm collegial conversations, thousands of students, writers, and teachers benefited from Don's work. Millions more continue to benefit by the wide circle of his influence over the fields of writing, writing instruction, journalism. Some of Don's most important insights about writing and teaching writing are collected in the Heinemann's The Essential Don Murray (edited by Thomas Newkirk and Lisa Miller). A Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, Don was a columnist for The Boston Globe and Professor of English at the University of New Hampshire. He was also a writing coach for several national newspapers, wrote poetry for many journals, including Poetry, and authored several books on the craft of writing and teaching writing, including Learning by Teaching, Expecting the Unexpected, Shoptalk, and Crafting a Life in Essay, Story, Poem, and Writing to Deadline. Read article on seacoastonline.com featuring Don Murray