Pleasures & Perils of Writing Non-Fiction, Post #9 We are discussing Phase Four of the non-fiction writing process. For an overview of the four phases, see Post #2. The fourth phase is, “Carry Out the Actual Writing of the Piece.” This begins with initial drafting. When you are ready to…

Pleasures & Perils of Writing Non-Fiction, Post #8 In Post #2, I said a non-fiction writer’s process has four overlapping phases. Let’s move along to Phase Four: 4. CARRY OUT THE ACTUAL WRITING OF THE PIECE: By “writing” I’m including initial drafting, sending drafts to colleagues for comment, re-drafting, submitting…

Pleasures & Perils of Writing Non-Fiction, Post #7 In Post #2, I posited that there are four overlapping phases of writing non-fiction. We’re ready now for the third. 3. DECIDE ON OR REFINE THE MAIN POINTS YOU WANT TO MAKE: Achieve clarity with yourself about your purpose in writing a…

Pleasures & Perils of Writing Non-Fiction, Post #6 In Post #5, I discussed sequencing of the information you’ve collected. Let’s stay with that. In my experience, note-taking is a foundational ability of efficient and effective non-fiction writing. …

Pleasures & Perils of Writing Non-Fiction, Post #5 In Post #2, I said a non-fiction writer’s process has four overlapping phases. We’re ready to explore Phase Two: 2. CONSIDER HOW TO APPLY THE INFORMATION COLLECTED: From all the information you collect, what will you use? …

Pleasures & Perils of Writing Non-Fiction, Post #4 Post #3 discussed Phase One of non-fiction writing: locating and collecting accurate information. Let’s think more about that. Post #3 suggested that non-fiction authors always use documents of one kind or another. OK, not always. There’s another way: direct contact with human…

Pleasures & Perils of Writing Non-Fiction, Post #3 In Post #2, I said a non-fiction writer’s process has four overlapping phases. Let’s discuss Phase One: 1. LOCATE AND COLLECT ACCURATE INFORMATION: In short, do your research. What your research looks like day-to-day depends on your objective. There are two types. …

Pleasures & Perils of Writing Non-Fiction, Post #2 Let’s first consider the processes a writer uses to create a non-fiction work. Hold on! Does “create” really belong in that sentence? If this blog were about writing fiction, no one would question “create” in that sentence. Already we’re encountering a fundamental…

I write non-fiction at the intersection of anthropology & education. This is my author’s blog. Most readers of authors’ blogs, I imagine, are curious about how writers of fiction go about creating their work. How much do the authors draw on their personal backgrounds? Which luminary fiction writers do they…