I’ve been writing fiction for some years now, but there is a non-fiction project I’d wanted to start for a while but I keep postponing it. It’s mostly related to my life experiences and I think letting them out would be cathartic and writing a guide that may help other people with the same struggles feels the best way to do it.
For those of you that write non-fiction, what tips can you give? Which books or videos helped you transition from fiction to non-fiction?
Generally, the best advice I’ve seen in a while is to – basically – start high level and add detail systematically.
For example:
Write an overarching goal or mission statement. What’s the gist? From there, list the chapters that go to support that goal. Then, for each chapter, dot-point out the key points. Those are you subheads. Then dot-point the key arguments for each subhead. Those are your paragraphs. Fill ‘em out.
Basically, you’re adding depth layer by layer. If you get stuck on anything, just slap filler text in there (e.g. whenever I sit down to write an article, I just use some keywords for the title and then write [INTRO]. Introductions are hard to write and, if I start right away, I’ll just get stuck.)
I can’t remember any non-fiction specific guides, unfortunately. My favourite overall story advice is Film Crit Hulk’s Screenwriting 101 (it’s relevant to more than just screenwriting).
I already have some of the chapters planned, I’m afraid of the overall “interconnectivity”, don’t want them to feel completely independent even if you could read them in whatever order you want.
An introduction should be needed too, so readers can know what they are getting into and, as you say, better to wait until most of the book is written.
But I’ll follow your method, it’s like a non -fiction version of the snowflake method that I’ve used sometimes to write fiction!
Thank younfor your tips!
Hmm, I bookmarked this post in hopes someone may answer you.
I write nonfiction but my focus is on legal/historical studies, hence I cannot offer you much help. From what I understand, you’re looking to write a memoir which, in a sense, can embrace the spirit of a fiction novel. Storytelling techniques are useful in that case to relate to and engage the reader. So perhaps tackling your memoir as fiction isn’t a bad idea. See this, this and this.
However, even in the recounting of personal experiences there may be a crucial place for research. This article might be helpful, and check out the rest of Phillip Lopate’s works.
One last thing I can offer—and which applies to any form of writing— is not to overthink it. Only a sliver of what you’ve wrote in the first sittings will remain in the final draft; give yourself the opportunity to meditate upon the written word. A few chapters deep in my work, I now have a clear idea on how to tackle the introduction.
More like a memoir I think it might fit the “self-help” category.
And you are right, better not overthink it, start writing and then can come the structure :)
Thank you, will definitely check those articles!
