There are many tips and tricks in writing fiction that can be applied when writing nonfiction stories, from avoiding passive sentences to clichés. However, a big advantage of writing nonfiction is that when your writing stagnates, you can use that time to do more research and deepen the facts of your topic. Writing nonfiction is a craft that requires patience, perseverance, and a strong narrative to finish well.
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Part 1 of 3: Preparing to Write
Step 1. Understand the genre
Non-fiction writing is literature based on facts. Nonfiction writers can focus on topics such as biographies, business, cooking, health and sports, pets, crafts, home décor, tourism, religion, art, history, and more. A list of possible subjects in nonfiction can be anything.
- Unlike fiction which is created from imagination, nonfiction is composed of real events, moments, practices, and approaches to a subject.
- Memoir is a type of nonfiction that acts as a record of an event based on intimate knowledge and personal observation. So if you're writing a memoir, you should do some research on a particular event or moment. However, most memoir writers require less research than other nonfiction writers because the basis of their stories comes from personal memory.
Step 2. Read some good examples of nonfiction
Many well-written and engaging nonfiction books have been shortlisted for Best Books of the Year and bestsellers lists. Some topics, such as the Middle East wars, scientific developments in the 21st century, and racism in the American court system are popular nonfiction topics. Of course, topics about food, home décor, and travel are also topics of great interest. Read some examples of nonfiction books such as the following:
- Notes of a Demonstrator by Soe Hok Gie. This book contains the thoughts of (late) Soe Hok Gie, who was a student of the History Department of FSUI. This book was compiled through the collection of Gie's writings, both in his daily journals, and from his writings published in national newspapers. This book is very interesting to read because through his depiction as a student in the old order era, Gie can take us to explore the lives of the Indonesian people around the 1960s.
- Zero Point: The Meaning of a Journey by Agustinus Wibowo. This book is indeed a book about a backpacker-style trip undertaken by Agus. However, when we read it, we will feel that this book is more than just sharing tips on traveling to new places with limited money. This book goes deeper into the various aspects of the journey that everyone must experience. Agus talked about love, friendship, religion, and family. All information is written very interestingly and does not make the reader feel judged. In this book, Agus invites us to dive into the meaning of life as a whole.
- Inconsequential because it's true by Sudjiwo Tejo. The contents of this book are satire expressed by linking the story of the world of puppetry, both Ramayana and Mahabharata, with the turmoil that occurred in Indonesia. Some interesting titles are "Burisrawa Gaius Face", "Yudhisthira Rises to the Peak of Salaries", "Entering the Sengkuni Millennium", and many more.
- Chairul Tanjung the child of cassava by Tjahja Gunawan. This book is a biography of Chairul Tanjung which tells of his struggles to achieve success in business. In this book, the readers are brought into the world of Chairul Tanjung when he was a child and started his business by selling cassava.
- 101 Days to Write & Publish Novels by R. Masri Sareb Putra. This book provides a guide for anyone who wants to start writing a novel. According to this book, writing a novel can be done in 101 days and your novel is ready to be offered to publishers. However, in order to do so, you will need to carefully follow the instructions in this book, step by step.
Step 3. Analyze the example
When you've read a few nonfiction books, think about how the author used factual evidence in his book and how he approached the topic in an interesting way. Ask questions, such as:
- What makes the author's approach to the topic unique and interesting?
- How does the author use factual information in his narrative?
- How does the author organize the information in his book? Does it use pauses between parts? Or divide it into parts? Or use a table of contents?
- How does the author cite the sources he uses in his narrative?
- As a reader, which part of the book influenced you the most? Which part has the least impact on you?
Step 4. Define your topic or subject
Maybe you already have a topic in mind, or maybe you're not sure how to narrow down your broad range of interests. However, stemming the topic and the perspective you will use to discuss the topic is very important. Ask yourself some of the questions below:
- What am I interested in? Writing a book on a subject you are interested in will make your research more in-depth and your dedication to telling the story stronger.
- What story can only me tell? Or what is unique about my point of view on a subject? For example, you may have an interest in baking cakes or supporting same-sex weddings. However, you must define your unique approach to studying these topics. Perhaps, for your interest in baking, you will focus on developing baking techniques or a particular type of cake, such as croissants. Or, for a hotly discussed topic such as same-sex marriage, you might focus on a particular area to see how this subject affects that community.
- Who will read this book? It's important to identify the readership and market for your book. You should have a broad enough readership to authorize the writing of the book. For example, a nonfiction book on the evolution of croissants may be of interest to bakers, food critics, and readers interested in the world of pastry. This book can also appeal to history buffs who like the history of a food from a unique perspective.
Step 5. Ponder your idea
Set aside time to bring out your creative soul. Get a blank piece of paper and a pen, or open a new document on your computer.
- There are many ways to pit ideas, such as creating a thought map with boxes around the main idea with lines connecting words or phrases that refer to the main idea.
- You can also create a list of unique points of view to see the main idea. For example, you could discuss the history of croissants, the political implications of the food, and some types of croissants in Europe.
Step 6. Create an outline or table of contents
One of the easiest ways to organize your thoughts is to create an outline of the content of your writing or a table of contents for your book. A more detailed outline will also help you focus your research on certain aspects of your topic or subject.
- Make bullet points with the main topic and subtopics or headings under the main topic. For example, for a book on croissants, the main theme might be kroisan and the subtopics of that theme are: Beginnings/History, Development, Making standard kroisan, and Recent variations of kroisan.
- You can also create a chart containing topics and subtopics, and then add subtopics under subtopic sections. Try to expand your ideas as broadly as possible and write down everything (even if it feels a little off) that could serve as a subtopic.
Step 7. Determine how much research needs to be done to cover your topic
Good nonfiction is usually based on research done over months, even years. In addition to online research, you should also visit libraries, archive offices, newspapers, and even microfilm.
- You should also find an expert in the subject you are focusing on as well as some “eyewitnesses to the incident”. This means people who have experienced the incident themselves. You'll also have to follow up on some leads, conduct interviews, take notes from interviews, and read a lot of material.
- For each topic and subtopic in the table of contents, you should think about the research you should do. For example, for the history of croissants, you might want to talk to a historian who specializes in French food or French food culture.
- Ask yourself: What do I not know about this topic? Who can be invited to discuss this topic? What kind of documentation can I look for on this topic?
Step 8. Make a to-do list for research that needs to be done
Review your detailed content design and table of contents. Move everything to research into a numbered to-do list.
- Make a list of links, books, and articles that you should look for and read.
- Make a list of must-visit locations, such as a pastry shop.
- Make a list of experts or eyewitnesses to be interviewed.
Part 2 of 3: Doing Research for Books
Step 1. Start with the most important research elements first
This is a good tactic if you work under deadline pressure and don't have years of research. Organize your to-do list from the most important to the least important.
Step 2. Arrange interviews with experts and eyewitnesses beforehand
Do this to give the person you're interviewing time to respond to your desire to interview them. Respond promptly when timing the interview and provide specific details about possible times for the interview.
- If you're having trouble getting a potential interview subject to respond to a possible interview time, don't be afraid to push. You may have to get back in touch with a reminder email, especially if they have a busy schedule or get a lot of emails every day.
- You should also think about subjects that are easier to find, such as family or friends who can give you an expert opinion or someone who works in a position below you who can still provide relevant information. Oftentimes, bonding with someone who works with the person you are trying to interview can help you get in touch with your interview subject.
Step 3. Conduct the interview
Practice your listening skills while conducting interviews. You interview someone to learn about that person's point of view or dig up information they have. So don't interrupt the person while they're talking or show off what you know.
- Prepare a list of questions for your interview subject. However, don't feel overwhelmed by following all the things on the list of questions. The person you are interviewing may have information that you have not anticipated or asked about. So, be open when your interview feels off the mark.
- If you don't understand what the person you're interviewing is talking about, clarify it with the person. If the person starts to tell you something irrelevant, redirect the focus back to the subject you are researching.
- If you are interviewing someone in person, use a digital recording machine equipped with a silencer. If you are going to conduct an extensive interview, you may need to hire a transcription service to record the interview and save you time.
- If you're interviewing someone on the internet using Skype, you can download a recording app that can record your Skype conversation with that person. You can then watch the video again and record it, or send it to a transcription service.
Step 4. Take advantage of the public library in your area
Make the librarian at your local library your new best friend. Before the advent of computers, librarians acted as running databases, and librarians are still known by that name today.
Most librarians can point to a specific shelf that fits the topic you're looking for or a specific research book that can be used. Some 90% of the research was obtained from library databases. So take advantage of this free resource
Step 5. Look to a university or specialized library
Most universities have large libraries and several libraries for special collections. While you may have to pay to access certain books or online databases, the campus library is a great resource for academic or scholarly topics.
Step 6. Check government records and documents
Public records and government documents can be a good source of research. Most of these documents are freely accessible and provide key factual information on a particular subject.
Step 7. Take advantage of the information available on the internet. One of the best ways to do research on the internet is to use search engines effectively
- Type a few keywords into a search engine to find useful sources of information on the internet. Search engines like Google and Yahoo are one of the search engines to start research. You can also try less common search engines like Dogpile and MetaCrawler which will search for more specialized websites. Keep in mind some of the shortcomings of this search engine. This search engine will usually only allow you to search for keywords for a fee to be able to read the content, and this search engine has a lot of ads.
- Try to ignore the first page of your search results. Some of the better sources are usually on page 5 of the search results list.
- Then, you must confirm that the source is a trusted source by reading the “About Us” or “About Us” page on the website and checking that the link ends with the words “.edu”, “.gov”, or “. people".
Step 8. Gather your research in one place
Use online folders in Google Drive to keep all your research documents in one easy-to-find place. Or start opening a Word file and populate it with your notes.
You can also use notes on scraps of paper to jot down important information. You should keep a physical folder and several folders to store other important documents, such as photos, newspaper clippings, and handwriting
Part 3 of 3: Writing a Nonfiction Book
Step 1. Analyze the research you have done
Look back over your notes, interview transcripts, and any documentation you collected. Determine if your point of view on a topic is supported by the research you did, or whether the research turned out to be a different side from your original view.
For example, you may think that a book on the evolution of croissants is a unique idea, but when you do your research, you will come across books on baking, including croissants. Think of ways to make your book stand out from the rest of the books. So your book on the evolution of croissants can seem unique because your book is about crescent-shaped bread that originated in the Middle Ages and later evolved into the French and Austrian croissants we enjoy today
Step 2. Create a writing schedule
This will help you determine how long it will take you to write a draft of your book. If you work under deadline pressure, it's a good idea to keep your schedule tighter than when you have free time to write.
- If you're writing nonfiction from a memoir perspective, you're likely to need less research to do. Instead, you'll spend a lot of time writing about your process, your life story, or your area of expertise.
- Research-based nonfiction books will take longer to write, as you will have to study, evaluate, and summarize the documentation you collect. You should also include information from interviews with experts and eyewitnesses.
- Try to organize your schedule by word or page count. So, if you usually write about 750 words per hour, consider this in your schedule. Or, if you think you can write 2 pages in an hour, use this information to estimate your schedule.
- Determine how long on average it takes you to write a series of words, or a number of pages per day. If you have a goal of writing 50,000 words or 200 pages, focus on how many hours it will take you in a week to achieve this goal.
- Extend the time by a few hours than you would otherwise need for “unexpected circumstances”. You may have times when your mind feels stuck, or you have research to review, or interview subjects to meet to follow up on certain details.
- Set weekly deadlines. Your target could be a word count, a page, or the completion of a particular chapter. However, set weekly deadlines and stick to them.
Step 3. Outline the plot
Even if you are writing a nonfiction book, following the principles of plot development or storyline can shape your book. This will also make it easier for you to organize your research material in a way that will appeal to your readers. The plot of the story is what happens in the story and the sequence of events. To make a story, something must move or change. Something or someone advances from point A to point B because of a physical event, decision, change in relationship, or change in the character of your book. Your plot should consist of:
- Story objectives: The plot in each story is a sequence of events that includes attempts to solve a problem or achieve that goal. The goal of the story is to uncover what the protagonist wants to get (which could be you if you're writing a memoir) or to solve a specific problem.
- Consequences: Ask yourself, what disaster will happen if your goals are not achieved? What is the protagonist afraid of if he can't reach his goal or solve a problem? Consequence here means a negative situation or event that will occur if the goal is not achieved. The combination of purpose and consequence makes for a dramatic measure of tension in your plot. This is what makes the plot of your story so meaningful.
- Requirements: This is what you must successfully do to achieve your goal. Think of it like a list of one or many occurrences. When these requirements are met while writing the novel, readers will feel that the characters (or use a first-person perspective if writing a memoir) are close to achieving their goals. This requirement creates a sense of anticipation in the reader's mind as he looks forward to the protagonist's success.
Step 4. Write the manuscript
Armed with your research, writing schedule, and plot outline, you can now start writing. Find a quiet, isolated place at home or in a studio. Limit the distractions you'll get by turning off the internet, keeping your phone away, and telling everyone to stay away from you.
- Some writers avoid manuscript revision because they don't want to get stuck in a particular chapter or section and deviate from their writing schedule. However, every writer will go through the process of writing and rewriting his work.
- If you feel like your idea is stuck, review your research again. You can use this time to follow up on research ideas or find some research results that you can use for your future book.
Step 5. Avoid the passive voice
When you use the passive voice, your writing will feel long and boring. Look for signs of the passive voice by circling all the active and passive verbs in your manuscript.
Use a grammar checker or computer application to count the number of passive sentences in your manuscript. Aim to limit the passive voice to 2-4%
Step 6. Always use casual language, unless you absolutely have to use formal terms
Instead of using the word "that", you can simply use the word "that". Focus on simple language with fewer syllables. You should only use a higher level of language when using scientific terms or describing technical processes. Even so, you must write so that it can be read by all.
It may help to identify the reading level of your ideal readership of your book. You can determine your reading level based on your ideal readership grade level. For example, in the United States, if you are targeting your book to be read by ESL (English as Second Language) readers, you should target your book to readers with a reading ability level of around 6-7. If you're writing for a reader with a higher level of education, you should probably write in grade 8 or 9. You can use several apps to determine the reading level for your draft
Step 7. Minimize the use of first person pronouns
Your readers will respond more to the process, event, or topic you are writing about if you describe it in the third person, unless you are writing a memoir. So, try to get rid of the word “I” or “I” as much as possible.
Step 8. Show it, don't tell
Captivate the reader by pointing out a specific process or event rather than narrating it directly. For example, an incident or scene showing the process of making croissants, detailing how the baker prepares and rolls the dough at the table, would be more interesting than saying outright: "This is how the dough is prepared".
You should also avoid adverbs in your writing because they can usually weaken sentences. For example, a sentence like: "When the baker saw the dough rising too fast, he immediately opened the oven door", showing the baker's haste in the scene without having to use the adverbs "directly" or "quickly"
Step 9. Read your manuscript aloud
Find someone who will listen (friends, coworkers, or a writing group) and read a few chapters of your manuscript aloud. Good writing should captivate the reader as a listener with details and descriptions that create a clear portrayal and strong narrative.
Don't try to impress the listener or use a "reading voice". Read in a natural and slow way. Ask your listeners for reactions after you read them. Take notes if any part feels confusing or unclear to your listeners
Step 10. Revise your manuscript
Before submitting a book to a publisher, you must first edit it. It's best to hire a professional proofreader to check for grammatical errors in your writing.
- Don't be afraid to cut out at least 20% of the material served. You can omit certain chapters that are too long and bore the reader. Feel free to cut out some of the chapters or pages that would weigh on your book.
- Note that every scene in your book uses the power of the senses. Did you manage to captivate at least one of the reader's senses in each scene? The power to sharpen a story through the five senses (taste, taste, smell, sight, and hearing) is a trick writers can use to keep their readers interested.
- Check the book's timeline. Did you explain the full process or procedure of your chosen topic? Are you exploring your point of view to the fullest? For example, a book about croissants should cover the process of making croissants from start to finish.
- Sentence level. Check the transitions between paragraphs, does the transition feel soft or not? Look for adverbs or terms that are used too often so that your sentences feel effective.
