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Questions tagged [non-fiction]

Non-fiction is a form of prose writing that factually describes real events and people, sometimes offering additional commentary. This tag should be used for any questions relating to non-fiction, including non-fiction formatting and technique, non-fiction critiques, and the publishing of non-fiction.

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Historical vs. present self-classifications when writing about LGBTQ+ history

I'm writing a short summary of LGBTQ+ history focusing on the lead up to the Stonewall Uprising, the event itself, and the first Pride march. I understand how to respectfully discuss LGBTQ+ people ...
Rozgonyi's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
26 views

Is there a standard style for writing chapter notes in a non-fiction book manuscript?

I am trying to find a standard style for writing chapter notes in a non-academic non-fiction book as per the image below. Is there an online resource where I can find an appropriate style guide for ...
user112705's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
92 views

What determines the value or worthiness of an autobiography?

To make an otherwise long winded story short, I have an uncommon tale of survivorship. Context: From child runaway, to kidnapping victim, to an escape ten years, ten months, and 23 days later. For the ...
BouquetOfProses's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
66 views

How can I organize a book where the primary audience is sometimes one group, sometimes another and other times both?

I am writing a non-fiction book, where [for instance] I am talking about the Teacher-Student relationship - and many aspects. Sometimes the writing is addressing the Teacher and sometimes the Student ...
CJ Cornell's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
106 views

Writing About A Personal Experience, Without Any

I don't want to get into the details of everything for the sake of time. An upcoming personal essay requires me to talk about how I feel about nature and how I feel as if it has defined me. This would ...
Tyla's user avatar
  • 29
4 votes
1 answer
72 views

Is it good practice to submit an update on my work while publisher is reviewing it for consideration?

I sent a publisher my manuscript for a secondary textbook five months ago. They've sent me occasional updates saying they're still reviewing it. The last update I received was two months ago. At the ...
Village's user avatar
  • 353
0 votes
1 answer
88 views

Would the plot for my short story, "Bread earner in the family," be suitable for a play?

I have a plot ready for the title "Bread earner in the family". Genre: Family emotional drama. It's a short story based on facts a non-fiction genre. Summary: How the bread earner in the ...
Prashant Akerkar's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
67 views

Dealing with archaic spellings in a direct quote

I just wanted to make sure I am approaching this correctly: I am working on a nonfiction historical biography about a missionary. When quoting sources which use archaic spellings of places/words, do I ...
Joshua H.'s user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
63 views

What do I call an introductory section written by myself (not the author)

I am putting together an electronic version of a book written by my grandfather about his service in the middle east in WW1. The other grandchildren and I have transcribed the text from scanned ...
rossmcm's user avatar
  • 113
2 votes
1 answer
86 views

What does working after under contract look like?

I worked on a manuscript for many years. During that time, I was independent, so I could make changes and decisions, without documenting or informing or getting permission. I may soon be working to ...
Village's user avatar
  • 353
1 vote
1 answer
264 views

Tips on how to describe my character using his power

My secondary main character has the power ashes to ashes where he can make his enemy basically start to turn to ash and fade away (think Sandman when he fades away) I write in 3rd person Every ...
Abby Castle's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
61 views

How to properly write a good history article?

I would like to paint a picture of how finance evolved from ancient history (or even prehistory) to today, in as short of a way as possible (a 15 minute read). How can I do that? What techniques are ...
Lance's user avatar
  • 207
2 votes
2 answers
149 views

Does Simple Writing Lead to Passive Reading? [closed]

a quick question here about non-fiction writing styles: It is said that the German philosopher Immanuel Kant intentionally wrote in a difficult and opaque style so as to force his readers to pay ...
John Smith's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
74 views

Are Certain Religious Terms Capitalized?

Is the term, "the great falling away" directly from the Bible, capitalized when used in a sentence to emphasize its importance? Also, the term "last days" is in question.
Suzette's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
111 views

Montage story/essay structure ideas?

I’m trying to come up with unconventional essay structures that are like a montage. For example, explaining your role in a band by sharing important dates in the band's history as in a single ...
Maria's user avatar
  • 21
0 votes
1 answer
125 views

How much of my book should I finish before sending manuscript to publisher?

I am writing a secondary school textbook. The book fills a niche subject area, and I'm replacing a book that went out-of-print and is wildly out-of-date. My question is, how much of the textbook ...
Village's user avatar
  • 353
2 votes
3 answers
203 views

Citing the Same Source Multiple Times in a Book

I am currently writing a non-fiction book which I intend to self publish. Regarding the citations and references, I intend to list them at the end of the book as endnotes and have decided to organise ...
John Smith's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
84 views

Best way to explain references to historic currency

What is the best way to explain the pre-decimal British Pound in a text that has multiple references to it. I already have something written to explain how to convert from pre-decimal to post-decimal ...
RobertEves92's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
110 views

A Medium publication contacted me at my Medium blog and asked for one of my published articles for free. Might they pay if I negotiated for that?

A nonprofit magazine called NFT (Nerd For Tech) with a Medium account (https://editorialteamnft.medium.com/) and its own website (https://www.nerdfortech.org/) contacted me out of the blue at my ...
Matthew Christopher Bartsh's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
191 views

Can you use the landscape and personification to imply what a person is thinking?

Can you use the landscape and personification to imply what a person is thinking? Example: The forest thought that these branches could be good for hanging myself (suicide). Is this a valid figure ...
Sayaman's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
49 views

How to determine essay scope

I'm trying to write an essay but find myself tempted to spin off in too many directions. Once I do, it's difficult to weave all of the threads back together. Any tips/resources for selecting the ...
Tom Cotter's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
80 views

Mapping relationships between topics in a non-fiction series

I am working on a series of episodes that will be made into individual videos to explain different technologies and how they interrelate at different levels within a specific application domain (the ...
IainCunningham's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
120 views

Is there a style guide for non-fiction? [closed]

So, I'm writing a nonfiction book. But I'm confused about style, format, and citations. Is there a specific sources section that I have to do? Such as, "References," "Sources Cited,&...
Acid Kritana's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
61 views

Can I grant non-exclusive rights on a non-fiction book?

I've written a short historical account on a local 17th Century shipwreck which I have been serialising on a Facebook group. Given the very positive response I would like to publish as a small book ...
Colin Dickie's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
129 views

Is it acceptable to use hyphens to create a literary effect?

I am writing a personal statement for my college application, and I wanted to use particular words in the beginning of each paragraph that resonate with the main content of the paragraph. Excerpt: ...
vanillasucceeds's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
230 views

How to effectively demonstrate the incorrectness of a factual-yet-biased work?

Yesterday SpaceX successfully tested their Starship prototype. The Sun ran a fine article with factually-correct headline: SpaceX Starship explosion: $216million Mars rocket EXPLODES as it misses ...
dotancohen's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
35 views

When is it appropriate to include citations in a guidebook?

I'm working on a series of self-published guidebooks aimed at teaching tech skills for people who aren't tech literate. My only prior experiences writing nonfiction have been research papers for ...
VoxxSkies's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
125 views

Illegal activities in autobiography [closed]

So I want to write a self-help book on how I became Rich from being poor I want to write about my struggles from when I was poor which is including stealing for groceries and other things that I ...
K.Ortiz's user avatar
  • 31
0 votes
0 answers
40 views

How should I structure a small non-fiction book/paper about a groundbreaking product/invention?

I want to write a book/paper about an invention I have thought and developed conceptually. But I'm really struggling on what I should include in it and how to structure the information. Any ...
Kostas Gogas's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
70 views

Ways to write a biographical introduction without using "___ was an..."

I'm writing a short biography on a relatively obscure ancient Greek figure. Since so little is known about this individual's life, I'm finding a dearth of information to support the 2-3 pages I'm ...
10GeV's user avatar
  • 161
6 votes
1 answer
80 views

In a book with multiple co-authors, how do you clarify who is "talking" when?

This is in the non-fiction space. I'm writing a book with a colleague. Throughout the book, there are times when we refer to individual experiences; for example, in one place I talk about a class that ...
David's user avatar
  • 161
1 vote
1 answer
59 views

Are there better chances of being more credible by a grantor if you write about yourself in the third person?

I was told that because I have a good eye for detail, I could do reasonably well as a grantwriter for several nonprofit organisations. I have previously applied for personal grants by writing about ...
HeavenlyHarmony's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

How do you refer to someone in a formal essay?

I'm writing a formal essay on a book. The book is about a real person, but they are referred to by their first name throughout the entire book. When writing the essay, do I stay consistent with the ...
wshtf0's user avatar
  • 21
1 vote
2 answers
54 views

Do the references need to be in sequential order with the chapters?

I am writing a non-fiction book. I am not writing the chapters sequentially e.g. the first chapter first and then second etc. I have started with the sixth chapter and now writing the second chapter. ...
The White Cloud's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
205 views

Do publishers check manuscripts using anti-plagiarism softwares?

I am writing a non-fiction book. Although I am very keen on giving references where ever there is a need, there are small parts of my book, like a line here and a line there which I have paraphrased ...
The White Cloud's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
38 views

How do I manage my online references?

I am writing a non-fiction book. I am doing lot of research online for the same. Most of the material I have included is from youtube videos, blogs, some other websites but none of it is from ...
The White Cloud's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
127 views

How do I go about writing a biographical account of my father? [closed]

I want to write a book involving the life of my father. He's been a political activist during his youth and the events that he narrates are worthy to be recorded. But I am confused as to what it ...
user255006's user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
573 views

What is the literary form or style of a story with no heroes?

I have a piece of non-fiction to write that I'll be doing by telling a story. It's somewhere between a news report, op-ed, and historical lesson, but told as a short story. In this story there are ...
Andrew Brock's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
209 views

How do I properly write in facts without harming anyone?

I'm currently writing, or starting to write, a book that discusses misandry and the such. I'm going to try to use as much evidence as I can without it seeming harmful. For example, I want to add in a ...
Acid Kritana's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
94 views

How to list main ideas in a conclusion chapter without being repetitive with the wording?

In the conclusions chapter of my book (technical, non fiction writing) I want to go over the main ideas I addressed throughout the entire book, as a reminder for the reader and really drive in some of ...
Marge's user avatar
  • 33
0 votes
1 answer
22 views

How popular is report type book?

I'm professionally an engineer and though I've written a few articles for a website, it is nothing much. I quite like writing but I can't say I'm very skilled at it, but I am good at searching things ...
Deep's user avatar
  • 101
1 vote
1 answer
58 views

Pictures in my book

I have recently been diagnosed with ALS. I was keeping a journal on the CaringBridge site, and I got enough feedback about it that I have decided to turn it into a book. I have added memories of my ...
Srcharlz's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
187 views

Is it a big no-no to have different sections in each chapter?

For non fiction writing, is it a must to structure all chapters in the same way? For example, a book has a few chapters, with each chapter having a few sections that name the topic that's being ...
bee's user avatar
  • 41
0 votes
3 answers
155 views

When should I include a ''Note to The Reader'' section of my non-fiction book?

Background I am writing a non-fiction book on epistemology. After my book's introduction I have included a note to my reader where I have briefly described my motivation for the layout of the book and ...
Gabriel Fair's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
162 views

How to convert non-fiction narrative to monologue

I'm working on an audio book about history, and I've decided to have the audio book recited as a monologue, to make it somewhat more engaging, but I've written the original draft for the book as a ...
OunceOfShag's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
228 views

Fiction copyright, mythologies and interpretations of ancient texts?

So, I understand that ancient mythologies and their characters such as Zeus etc are part of the public domain. However, what happens to individual interpretations of ancient texts? For example, a ...
Orchid's user avatar
  • 41
3 votes
1 answer
149 views

How do you write articles without plagiarizing when everything has essentially been said about the topic at hand?

Basically, when dealing with non-fiction topics like business or security or Information Technology or any other factual topic, there is really only so many ways you can write the facts using the ...
JaR's user avatar
  • 139
189 votes
9 answers
20k views

"Dear Stack Exchange, I am very disappointed in you" - How to construct a strong opening line in a letter?

In light of recent events, I intended to write a simple letter of complaint to StackExchange. The obvious thing to do would be to write an opening with the fact such as It came to my knowledge that ...
NofP's user avatar
  • 10.6k
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Correct way of Citing References in a writing a Non-Fiction book?

I am trying to write a non-fiction book about summarizing core computer science concepts. I plan to self publish this book through the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing program. My target audience ...
Seng Wee's user avatar
  • 133
3 votes
2 answers
124 views

Can I include personal experiences in nonfiction?

I am writing a book mostly about the history of my local airport. This will include the changes from the earliest airlines and airports til today. What I want to know, for example, I write about the ...
dean1957's user avatar
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