The 4 Must-Have Writing Skills For Nonfiction Authors
Is there a difference between fiction and nonfiction writings? After all, they both have different goals. While nonfiction writings want to educate, fiction writings primarily seek to entertain. If you’re going to become a nonfiction author, you must have a unique set of skills. Here are a few of them.
1. Learn Nonfiction Writing Styles
There are four styles of nonfiction writing, and you need to learn all of them. You will deliver your message much more clearly when you are conversant with all the styles. They are:
The Expository Writing Styles
This is the type of writing style that will establish you as a credible nonfiction writer. Use it to give your audience some background information that will support the solutions you present. Charts, tables, and research data are commonly used in this writing style.
The Narrative Writing Style
This is the writing style that will help create an emotional connection with your readers. It uses storytelling to help readers understand the life and experiences of different characters. This writing style will help readers relate to your characters. It would be a great style if you were the character in your story.
The Descriptive Writing Style
This writing style seeks to engage all human emotions and senses. You can use it to create a picture of your solutions and how they affect daily lives.
The Persuasive Writing Style
This is a writing style that aims to persuade readers. It may encourage them to take certain actions or implement specified solutions. The persuasive writing style appeals to readers emotionally. It enables you to use emotional connection and align the goals of your audience with yours.
2. Element of Surprise
Great fiction writings have many twists and turns. However, nonfiction can get boring and predictable. While your nonfiction writing needs to be more matter-of-fact than entertaining, you can always add the element of surprise. When hiring a ghostwriter, most people look for the wow factor. They want someone that can tell a story in unexpected ways. Reading a nonfiction piece should feel like unwrapping a present from a loved one.
Use questions, provocative comparisons, contrasting statements, and shocking facts to introduce surprise to your writing. However, you must ensure that your points are reconciled in the end.
3. Baiting
Baiting is a skill that nonfiction writers have to learn and great ghostwriters already have. It isn’t just for fiction writings. Great nonfiction writings capture your attention right from the beginning. If you are publishing your article online, you have competition from thousands of other articles. If you can’t bait readers from the moment they start reading, they will leave. After all, they can access hundreds of excellent options for free. Ensure that every sentence makes them want to read the next.
Consider starting with a short personal story, some history, or interesting statistics. Before your reader knows it, they will be halfway through the story. Another tip is to question the things that move and motivate your audience. If your article helps solve a problem, it is interesting. Put yourself in the shoes of the readers and help them identify with you. Capturing the attention of your readers isn’t enough. You must be able to hold it to the end.
4. Simplicity
Nonfiction writers get tempted to use big words and complex sentences to sound knowledgeable. Your readers will be frustrated if they have trouble understanding your message. If you have a great message, pass it across simply. Don’t encrypt it. A message that is wrapped in complicated words doesn’t give your readers value.
Nonfiction writing doesn’t need to be boring. If you are as imaginative as fiction authors, you can pass your message across without being too dull or predictable.
