Robert Draper certainly has a turbulent career with what he calls his “dabbling approach,” writing for various top publications such as The New York Times Magazine and National Geographic. On top of this, Draper has written a few books, his first one following the “story” of The Rolling Stone and its development over the years. Facing problems that ranged from legal pressures on his Rolling Stone book to escaping the Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia, Draper’s successful and extensive career experiences stem from a story-based approach.
Draper discussed a variety of topics like how he decided to be a writer, his career start, and his current writings of both domestic politics and international events. In his political writings, Draper defines himself as a “republican explainer to the New York Times liberal readership.” He became this role through his initial relationship with the then-governor of Texas, George W. Bush. Draper explained how his experiences and inside with Bush provided a gateway into the republican elite. After interviewing President Bush six times for his novel Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush, Draper said the context and credibility he had gained among republicans allowed him to interview prominent republican figures such as John McCain and Sarah Palin. Draper recently wrote Do Not Ask What Good We Do in which he narratively analyzes the 2010 House of Representatives, one of the least-approved sessions of Congress of all time. Draper’s avid following of political events and his high-standing reputation among many top leaders allows him to fully encompass any story he faces.
In his travel writing, Draper has covered a variety of stories for National Geographic. He described the set-up of National Geographic, explaining how it invests a lot of money into their stories, and as such he is abroad for a month for any given story. Because of this, Draper is forced to research logistical details extensively before he arrives at his given location. While these logistical details distract from preparing for a story, he would be unable to get to his location without them. At first this lack of preparation may seem problematic, but Draper has learned that he can’t always plan what the story is that needs to be told. He emphasized that a writer must find the “story worth telling versus the story that’s easiest to tell.” Through this approach, Draper, as he explained, must decide first what the story is and then find “the one exquisite character” as a vehicle to tell the story.
Draper’s discussion of his career history and his successful writing approach truly captures the necessity of storytelling even in nonfiction writing. His success and reputation are both products of his diligence in researching his topic and his continuous focus on the importance of storytelling.