Narratively Academy

Narratively Academy

StoryCraft 🛠️

✏️🛠️ How to Change Your Story When the Research Surprises You

The hardest part of a big writing project is when your reporting unveils something that doesn’t support your original thesis. What do you do then?

Amelia Possanza
May 14, 2024
∙ Paid
Photo by Jessica Bal

For her book, Lesbian Love Story: A Memoir in Archives (named a Best Book of 2023 by NPR), Amelia Possanza listened to hours of oral history tapes, sifted through archives and retraced the steps of her research subjects across New York City. Today, Amelia shares some advice on what to do when your research surprises you.

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Narratively
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture