My actual writing routine is always evolving. I try to find the shape of the story and make sure that when I’m eventually ready to write, I’m not lost in my material.ĭon’t search for characters that perfectly embody your thesis. I try to squeeze out time in cafes, airplanes, and hotel rooms to organize my notes and imagine scenes. I go through long periods of reporting where I do very little “writing.” During these stretches, there is no routine. “It will make your writing much better in the end.”īelow, Bauer shares more on his writing routine, and what inspires him. “Don’t force characters into the framework you’ve created in your mind, let them lead you, even when they do things you wish they didn’t,” said Bauer. That also meant embracing the contradictions embodied by the inmates and fellow officers alike. “The real work is finding a narrative that exists inside that topic.”įor Bauer, that narrative came from working as a prison guard and learning from all of the people he encountered there. “It’s important to immerse in your topic, to know everything you can about it, but that is just the first stage of a good nonfiction project,” Bauer told the PBS NewsHour.

But first he followed a valuable piece of writing advice: “Let the story lead.”

Learn more about the book club here.įor “American Prison,” a deep dive into the private prison industry, Shane Bauer drew from historical documents dating back to the 19th century. Our February pick for the PBS NewsHour-New York Times book club “Now Read This” is Shane Bauer’s “American Prison.” Become a member of the book club by joining our Facebook group, or by signing up to our newsletter.

Shane bauer american prison