Non-Fiction… What is that?

As an author, you might not realize that non-fiction is a broad yet simple genre of writing. Broad in the sense that it has many forms, but is simple in its definition. Non-fiction writing is a category of writing that embraces all books that don’t express an imaginary story.

Non-fiction is not made up. It may use elements of fiction in terms of metaphors and other literary devices, but only as a tool to emphasize the message and facts about some aspect of life. Your goal as a non-fiction author is to teach, bring awareness or cause a change in thoughts and patterns of cultures and life.

Here are five types of Non-fiction writing:

Creative.

This is a method of storytelling that uses the creative techniques of literature to retell a factual story. An example of this is the famous motivational book, Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson. This book sold over twenty-four million copies worldwide because it used a parable to reveal profound truths about human behaviour and circumstances.

Narrative.

This can come under creative non-fiction, but it is a more structured form of using a story to tell facts about a topic or person of interest. Memoirs and biographies fall into this category. Examples of these are Becoming by Michelle Obama, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, and Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis.

Descriptive.

This is using figurative language, i.e. your senses, to describe places, events, and even people. An example of this is travel guides.

Persuasive.

This is when you give your position on a topic, using facts to back up your points and persuade your audience. Newspaper editorials and magazines like The Times and The New Yorker are famous for these kinds of writing.

Expository.

This method explains trendy fashions, historical events, environmental marvels, and metaphysical and scientific questions. You would do extensive research on a particular topic or event and explain it exactly and plainly to your readers who may or may not be knowledgeable about this topic.

You can choose to write using any of these categories. Use more than one in your writing if you so desire. Be creative. For more information or training in one or more of these types of non-fiction writing, visit our website.