“Writing True Crime: A National Obsession” Workshop

“Writing True Crime: A National Obsession” Workshop

Date and time: Saturday, October 19 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Pelham Parkway Van Nest Public Library

2147 Barnes Avenue, Bronx, NY

“Over the past few years, true crime—that once-niche genre of storytelling that spins real-life crimes into entertainment—has become a national obsession.”
-Phoebe Lett, The New York Times

Kathryn Casey of the Boston Globe calls true-crime stories “the ultimate human dramas and the most terrifying horror stories. Such tragedies speak to us about the human condition in a different way—not as we wish it was but as we know, and fear, it can be.”

Writing true crime presents a unique set of challenges. How does the author go about finding the right case? What research tools are available—and accurate? What ethical considerations need to be addressed? How should the narrative be structured? How much leeway does the author have when writing “creative nonfiction”? This workshop will address all of these questions and more, guiding participants through the process of writing a compelling true-crime story.

Author David Bushman will show attendees how to strive for criteria laid out by Michelle McNamara, author of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: “I love reading true crime, but I’ve always been aware of the fact that, as a reader, I am actively choosing to be a consumer of someone else’s tragedy. So, like any responsible consumer, I try to be careful in the choices I make. I read only the best: writers who are dogged, insightful, and humane.”

David Bushman is the author of five nonfiction books, two on true crime: Murder at Teal’s Pond: Hazel Drew and the Mystery That Inspired Twin Peaks and Forget It, Jake: It’s Schenectady: The True Story Behind “The Place Beyond the Pines.” He is a former TV curator at The Paley Center of Media, TV editor at Variety, and program director at TV Land.