Writing Naturally: A Down-To-Earth Guide to Nature Writing

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Most writers spend their days confined by four walls. Not so the nature writer. Nature writers, says David Petersen, author of Writing Naturally, "must spend every minute [they] can manage out there, in the most natural (wildest) possible environs." Nature writing, for Petersen's purposes, is nonfiction prose, usually in the first person, that celebrates "wild nature." That is, not pop science and not "gadget-flacking" outdoor recreation. Petersen's specificity about his subject, his infectious passion for it, and his just-plain-sensible advice make Writing Naturally utterly engaging and eminently useful. His suggestions concern, among other things, subject matter, length, and research: "Shoot for a thorough, detailed, yet tenably limited discussion of a limited topic," he says, "painted as concisely as possible without making the reader feel cramped." Petersen provides ample examples from the works of such beloved nature writers as Edward Abbey, Tim Cahill, and Terry Tempest Williams. And for those who guiltily shirk the writing exercises in books such as this, Petersen offers relief: his range from "optional" to "utterly optional." Ahhhhh. --Jane Steinberg


From Library Journal
As with the NPR program Car Talk, so with Writing Naturally: you needn't have a special affinity for the topic to find it delightfully entertaining. But for those interested in the craft of nature writing, Petersen brings years of experience as a teacher, editor, and author (Heartsblood) to this lively work of technique and inspiration. Nature writing differs from natural history writing by focusing on the author's reflections on both life and nature. Petersen offers advice that applies to good writing in general: have a passion for the subject, maintain journals, conduct careful research, use figurative language, and revise continually. He also offers practical tips on publishing, working with editors and agents, and accepting criticism. Pertinent examples, quotes from other authors, and optional exercises complete this exceptional manual. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries and essential for aspiring nature writers. Maureen J. Delaney-Lehman, Lake Superior State Univ., Sault Ste. Marie, MI Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
A uniquely compelling, refreshingly practical and unimpeachably informed how-to guide for aspiring and published nature writers.


About the Author
David Petersen is a writer’s writer. With a quarter-century of continuous freelancing, overlain by a dozen years as a staff magazine editor and a decade as a college writing instructor, and with hundreds of magazine pieces and eleven nonfiction books (all with nature themes, plus more than forty nonfiction educational children’s titles), this critically acclaimed author is uniquely qualified to write about his genre and craft.


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The much-published teacher/author praises most the autodidactic method, wherein the perpetual student reads as a writer, practices craft in a focused manner, revises tirelessly, and garners informed, objective criticism about his or her work. Toward these ends Petersen's topics include journal writing, research, titles, openings and closings, tense and person, voice, revision, and workshops, most of these topics well related to genres outside nature writing. No notes. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)


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