A story is like a black box – you put the reader in there: George
Saunders on storytelling
The US writer George Saunders is celebrated both
for his masterful prose and empathic storytelling. A MacArthur Fellow and
National Book Award finalist, Saunders’s first novel, Lincoln in the
Bardo, was released in 2017 to wide acclaim. In this short video, the
author deconstructs what makes for an effective story, and describes his
personal strategies for writing, revealing the importance of conversing with
your characters, the pitfalls of fixing your intentions in place, and why good
storytelling is a bit like being in love.
Directors: Tom Mason, Sarah Klein
Executive Producer: Ken Burns
Website: Redglass Pictures
25 July 2017
