A guide for how to tell clear, data-driven stories that will make an impact. People with important evidence-based ideas often struggle to translate data into stories their readers can relate to and understand. And if leaders can't communicate well to their audience, they will not be able to make important changes in the world. Why do some evidence-based ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Because Data Can't Speak for Itself, accomplished educators and writers David Chrisinger and Lauren Brodsky tackle these questions head-on. They reveal the parts and functions of effective data-driven stories and explain myriad ways to turn your data dump into a narrative that can inform, persuade, and inspire action. Chrisinger and Brodsky show that convincing data-driven stories draw their power from the same three traits, which they call people, purpose, and persistence. Writers need to find the real people behind the numbers and share their stories. At the same time, they need to remember their own purpose and be honest about what data says--and, just as importantly, what it does not. Compelling and concise, this fast-paced tour of success stories--and several failures--includes examples on topics such as COVID-19, public diplomacy, and criminal justice. Chrisinger and Brodsky's easy-to-apply tool kit will turn anyone into an effective and persuasive evidence-based writer. Aimed at policy analysts, politicians, journalists, teachers, and business leaders, Because Data Can't Speak for Itself will transform the way you communicate ideas.

A thoroughly updated and expanded guide to honing your public policy writing skills-and making a significant impact on the world. Winner of the George Orwell Award by the National Council of Teachers of English Professionals across a variety of disciplines need to write about public policy in a manner that inspires action and genuine change. You may have amazing ideas about how to improve the world, but if you aren't able to communicate these ideas well, they simply won't become a reality. In Public Policy Writing That Matters, communications expert David Chrisinger, who directs the Harris Writing Program at the University of Chicago and worked in the US Government Accountability Office for a decade, argues that public policy writing is most persuasive when it tells clear, concrete stories about people doing things. Combining helpful hints and cautionary tales with writing exercises and excerpts from sample policy analysis, Chrisinger teaches readers to craft concise, story-driven pieces that exceed the stylistic requirements and limitations of traditional policy writing. Aimed at helping students and professionals overcome their default impulses to merely "explain," this book reveals proven tips-tested in the real world and in the classroom-for writing sophisticated policy analysis that is also easy to understand. For anyone interested in planning, organizing, developing, writing, and revising accessible public policy, Chrisinger offers a step-by-step guide that covers everything from the most effective use of data visualization to the best ways to write a sentence, from the ideal moment for adding a compelling anecdote to advice on using facts to strengthen an argument. This second edition addresses the current political climate and touches on policy changes that have occurred since the book was originally published. A vital tool for any policy writer or analyst, Public Policy Writing That Matters is a book for everyone passionate about using writing to effect real and lasting change.

A seasoned writer and teacher of memoir explores both the difficulties inherent in writing about personal trauma and the techniques for doing so in a compelling way. Since 2013, David Chrisinger has taught military veterans, their families, and other trauma survivors how to make sense of and recount their stories of loss and transformation. The lessons he imparts can be used by anyone who has ever experienced trauma, particularly people with a deep need to share that experience in a way that leads to connection and understanding. In Stories Are What Save Us, Chrisinger shows-through writing exercises, memoir excerpts, and lessons he's learned from his students-the most efficient ways to uncover and effectively communicate what you've learned while fighting your life's battles, whatever they may be. Chrisinger explores both the difficulties inherent in writing about personal trauma and the techniques for doing so in a compelling way. Weaving together his journey as a writer, editor, and teacher, he reveals his own deeply personal story of family trauma and abuse and explains how his life has informed his writing. Part craft guide, part memoir, and part teacher's handbook, Stories Are What Save Us presents readers with a wide range of craft tools and storytelling structures that Chrisinger and his students have used to process conflict in their own lives, creating beautiful stories of growth and transformation. Throughout, this profoundly moving, laser-focused book exemplifies the very lessons it strives to teach. A foreword by former soldier and memoirist Brian Turner, author of My Life as a Foreign Country, and an afterword by military wife and memoirist Angela Ricketts, author of No Man's War: Irreverent Confessions of an Infantry Wife, bookend the volume.

Students and professionals across a variety of disciplines need to write public policy in a manner that inspires action and genuine change. You may have amazing ideas about how to improve the world, but if you aren't able to communicate these ideas well, they simply won't become reality. In Public Policy Writing That Matters, communications specialist David Chrisinger argues that public policy writing is most persuasive when it tells clear, concrete stories about people doing things. Combining helpful hints and cautionary tales with writing exercises and excerpts from sample policy documents, Chrisinger teaches readers to craft concise, story-driven pieces that exceed the stylistic requirements and limitations of traditional policy writing. Too often, public policy writing is convoluted, opaque, and exclusive. Chrisinger, who teaches introductory policy writing courses around the country, offers a step-by-step guide for anyone interested in planning, organizing, developing, writing, and revising accessible public policy. From the most effective use of data visualization, the best way to write a sentence, and the ideal moment to add a compelling anecdote to advice on using facts to strengthen an argument, this little book, inspired by Strunk & White's classic style guide, will allow anyone crafting public policy to make a bigger impact. Aimed at helping students and professionals overcome their default impulses to merely "explain," this book reveals proven, classroom-tested tips for writing sophisticated policy that is also easy to understand. This practical, concise handbook will not only aid students throughout graduate school but will also remain a reference to consult throughout their professional careers. A vital tool for any policy writer or analyst, Public Policy Writing That Matters is a book for everyone passionate about using writing to effect real and lasting change.