The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual . Fully updated and revised. Compiled by Nick O'Connell. Chapter 1 in Creative Nonfiction . Narrative nonfiction, or literary journalism, differs from conventional journalism by exploring the same raw material of life but with greater depth and precision.
Narrative nonfiction borrows the techniques of realistic fiction to deepen and enrich nonfiction.
In its research methods, it resembles daily journalism, emphasizing careful quoting, accurate observation of the world, and extensive reporting and research. It doesn't fictionalize or invent the way a short story or novel would. In its organizational methods, however, it borrows from realistic fiction. Narrative nonfiction aims to find the symbolic richness and complexity in a story which may receive scant or little attention in an evening newscast. It organizes its stories as narratives, in chronological fashion, the oldest and deepest form of storytelling.