Meet L. Diane Wolfe - How to Write a Nonfiction Book

Many thanks to L. Diane Wolfe for being my first guest blogger. I asked her to tell us how to write a nonfiction book because I wanted some instruction. I hope you pick up on her energy, visit her websites and blog, and check out her book below. For a short while, my guest bloggers will be here and on my new blog, Be a Real Writer. I'd love for you to click on Be a Real Writer and become a real  follower. Thanks!

How to Write a Non-Fiction Book

 

Most writers fall on one side of the equation - they write either fiction or non-fiction. Those who write fiction are storytellers and feed off their imagination. To them, writing non-fiction sounds about as fun as penning an essay. Many wouldn’t even know where to begin. 

Writing non-fiction is very different than writing fiction. I’ve written books in both genres and it does require a shifting of mental gears. Non-fiction can be just as fun though. Plus, being the author of a non-fiction book has its advantages, including credibility as an expert and more media opportunities.

 

Below are the basic steps for writing a non-fiction book.

 

1 - Pick a topic you know well. You could try your hand at something new, but with non-fiction it’s all about your expertise. Consider it this way - what could you teach others?

 

2 - Create a basic outline. Group subjects into chapters and create a basic flow of information.

 

3 - Research! No matter how well you know a topic, there is always more to learn. Take lots of notes. Jot down facts, figures, resources, links, etc.

 

4 - If you will be quoting any sources or using images, get permission. Information and photos on the Internet are copyrighted by law. Better to get permission than to get sued.

 

5 - Organize your notes. Everyone has their own style, but group the notes according to each chapter topic. (I’ve literally cut my notes apart, laid out sheets of paper with each chapter’s subject, and then placed the notes where they fit best.)

 

6 - Once your notes are organized, adjust your outline accordingly and add details. If you are seeking a publisher or agent, they will want to see a detailed outline first, sometimes even before you’ve written the book. If you are self-publishing it, this will help you stay on track with your writing.

 

7 - Begin writing! One of the unique aspects of non-fiction is the ability to start with any chapter in the book. Often non-fiction in what I call a fact form - a presentation of information. But some non-fiction, especially historical non-fiction, is written with a storyline. The subject of your book will help you decide which method will work best.

 

8 - Once you start the first round of edits, note what is lacking. What areas need more information or details? You also want to ensure the writing has voice. It may be non-fiction, but your personality and voice need to come through loud and strong. If it doesn’t, then yes, you will have a boring essay on your hands!

 

9 - Editing non-fiction is also different in that you’ll need someone who knows the material and can edit for content, not just grammar, flow, and structure.

 

They say if you want to learn a subject even better, you need to teach it. Writing a non-fiction book achieves just that and allows you to share your expertise with others. And there’s something really satisfying in sharing.

 

Now, who’s ready to write a non-fiction book?

 

L. Diane Wolfe

Professional Speaker & Author

www.spunkonastick.net

http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com

www.thecircleoffriends.net

 

Known as “Spunk On A Stick,” Wolfe is a member of the National Speakers Association and the author of numerous books. Her latest title, “How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now,” covers her publishing seminars in depth and provides an overview of the entire process from idea to market. “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting”, ties her goal-setting and leadership seminars together into one complete, enthusiastic package. Her YA series, The Circle of Friends, features morally grounded, positive stories. Wolfe travels extensively for media interviews and speaking engagements, maintains a dozen websites & blogs, and assists writers through her author services.

Projects for 2012

We’re 16 days into 2012. What have you accomplished?

I turned in my article on Louisiana author Christa Allan. It will be in the March issue of Southern Writers Magazine.

I’ve put my novel away--the one I completed and marketed to Christian publishers. I took it apart and tried to rewrite it for the secular market. It’s the one that was a finalist at Killer Nashville. Rewriting--a complete rewrite--is difficult. I lost my vision for the book. Well, actually, I didn’t lose my vision, I just lost myself. I thought I could pull out the faith elements and rewrite, but it didn't work that way. The minute I took their faith from my characters, their Christian reasoning, praying, their Christian World View, they became different people, and then I saw the pages being gobbled up and disappearing and well ... I need to step back from it for awhile. Get to know these new characters. I need to do a story board or something, gain better control of the timeline. Anyway, it’s constantly on my mind. I hear my characters conversing, I jot down things they say and do. Hopefully, I'll get back to it soon.

In the mean time, I’d love to pursue obsessive-compulsive organizational habits. I think being organized makes a huge difference in whether one is successful or not--no matter what they attempt. On the whole, I'm not an organized person, but if you give me one project at a time, I'm organized. Make sense? Baby steps, baby steps.

I’ve started two new projects. I’m super excited about both. I’ve been thinking about a nonfiction book for about a year and making notes. I've finally started outlining it. Since a lot of interviewing will have to take place, I'm devising some powerful (yes, they have to be powerful!) questions for my subjects. I’ve never written a NF book. I need to learn exactly how much I should write before I query. I understand one doesn't have to write the entire book before they can query or even sell. The research has been fun. So if any of you have experience pulling together a NF book, any thing you can share will be appreciated.

I’m also working on a novella. No market in site--just something I have to write. Oddly enough, this started out in my mind as a NF book, and then it hit me that I should write the same story but from a fictional character's POV; a fictional character who is a composite of many characters. I’m handwriting it. At some point, I'll start typing, I'm sure, so I'm waiting for that pull to the laptop. Right now, the intimacy of writing by hand is keeping me excited about the story. I've even been waking in the middle of the night because scenes invade my sleep. Don't you love it when you're that excited/obsessed about a subject? At this point, it’s from the male point of view. While I write, I'm very conscious of POV--trying to put myself in his/her/its place and look out at the world. I’m thinking about revising it to an androgynous point of view to make the subject matter more universal. I'll decide about that once I start revising. Could be that from the male POV would be the more perfect love story but I want to use the POV that makes it a more powerful story. Your thoughts?

So now that you know what I’m doing, what’s on your plate? New projects or finishing up old ones? Anything you're super excited about? Obsessed with? Worried about? Scared to attempt? Details!

How Long Does Your Passion Hang Around?

“Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.” ~ Orson Scott Card

Novel ideas are everywhere. But I can't grab one and immediately start writing. An idea for a novel has to flop around in my head for awhile until it catches hold and takes root. I think about it constantly, trying names on my characters to see if they fit, getting to know them, and working out scenes and plot points. 

Still, I agree with Orson Scott Card's quote. NF ideas slam into me left and right when I listen to dialogue in a restaurant, or the pastor's sermon, or watch a TV show, but if I don't grab the idea and the passion that goes along with it and do something with it at that moment, then the idea doesn't speak to me the next week, the next day or even the next hour. My passion for it is gone. That's not to say I can't write the story or the article, but I have to drum up a new excitement for it. A lack of original passion makes the writing seem more like work.

 I wonder if this falls under the category of a mood writer or if everyone has this problem.

Comments?