This Week: The Fine Art of Story Hunting

Join New York Times features writer Steven Kurutz and Creative Nonfiction's Lee Gutkind for a live chat about how to find the best stories—and how to figure out what's an article and what's a book.

Happy Monday, writers! Thanks to everyone who joined us for our first Open Book live conversation of 2026 last week: How to Juggle Multiple Creative Projects at Once, with Caroline Rothstein. (If you missed that one, check out the recording here.)

Quick reminder that our 8am ET Writers’ Room is happening every day this week! If you’re looking for a little extra accountability in sticking to those new year’s writing goals, be sure to join us any/every morning at 8 ET this week (and Wednesday at 8am PT).

We’re also thrilled to have the great Lee Gutkind back to lead a new Open Book live conversation this Friday. Lee will be chatting with Steven Kurutz, a features reporter for The New York Times, as well as the author of two books and many great articles, including an all-time great CNF classic we recently shared on Narratively about the music of Donnie and Joe Emerson, which was adapted into the feature film Dreamin’ Wild, starring Casey Affleck and Walton Goggins.

Steven and Lee will discuss how to find stories that intrigue you, how to identify one that will excite editors, and how to tell the difference between an idea that wants to be a longform story and what’s destined to become a book.

We’ll be discussing two of Steven’s stories in depth, and you can read both of them ahead of time here:

• Fruitland: The Long, Twisting Tale of Two Farm Boys Who Finally Got Their Big Break

• They Took Big Pay Cuts to Run a Little Paper [New York Times gift link]

We hope you’ll join us on Zoom this Friday, January 16 at 1pm ET—click here to RSVP and add this event to your calendar.

PS: If you are asked for a passcode on Zoom, enter 866673.