Gangrey
Vol. I · No. 1Prolonging the Slow Death of NewspapersEst. 2026

Ingredients

FOUR OF THEM

What are the elements of a great nonfiction story?



Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter says there are four:



"At Vanity Fair, our writers continue to do what they've always done, ferreting out everything there is to know about a given subject and then pulling it all together in a gripping, satisfying narrative. A good Vanity Fair story should have at least a couple of the following elements: access, narrative arc, friction and disclosure. A great one has at least three and a truly great one has all four."



Access. Narrative Arc. Friction. Disclosure.



Is he right?



Are there others?

Keep reading with a membership

This story is for Gangrey members. Join to read it in full, unlock the archive, and support narrative nonfiction.

Become a Member

Keep Reading

People of diverse skin tones fist bumping in a circle.Essays

How to be a Diversity Hire

1 Min
An empty hospital bed sits in a dimly lit room.Micro-Memoir

Goodnight, Grandpa

1 Min
A group of people walking across a street.Micro-Memoir

Sonder

1 Min

Leave a comment