It’s hard to create a completely accurate representation of something that happened a long time ago unless you have ample records of the event, like a recorded conversation or eye-witness account. The right balance between fact and fictionĪs this form of writing uses literary styles and techniques, writers sometimes use creative license to drive their story forward and make it more interesting. Other books may start with a scene in the middle of all the action and then go back in time to tell the story from the beginning, catching up with the events the opening started with before going beyond them to finish the story. You can switch perspectives and timelines meaning that the story can be told in a more exciting and intriguing way.įor example, a lot of books open with a scene set in the present day to show the reader where the story is now, and then they will go back in time to show where the story began. While straight histories or news reporting tend to tell events in chronological order, with narrative non-fiction you can be more playful. The structure a writer chooses to tell the story in goes a long way to creating drama and suspense for readers. Choosing to tell the story through specific scenes instead of simply summarizing the events that took place is what separates this form of writing from other types of non-fiction like history, reports, news stories, and biographies. Just like in fiction books, writers use dialogue and characterization to reveal character relationships and story development. High-quality narrativeĪnother cornerstone of great narrative non-fiction is the quality of the writing. When researching their subjects, writers will often conduct interviews with key people, obtain access to private diaries, read old newspaper articles, and search historical records in order to get the most accurate information about a series of events. Often written by investigative journalists, historians, and sometimes biographers, works of narrative non-fiction are informative but they are also entertaining to read because the storytelling element is so important.Ĭonducting original and thorough research is a cornerstone of good narrative non-fiction writing. What makes good narrative non-fiction? Research It can tell the story of an individual or a company’s dramatic demise or it can paint an eye-opening picture of a particular political or social current affair. For example, narrative non-fiction can explore an unknown perspective on a historical event based on research that’s only just been discovered. You might see it shelved in almost any section of physical and online bookstores. What is interesting and exciting about narrative non-fiction is that it can cover just about any topic. Why should you write narrative non-fiction? Narrative non-fiction is sometimes referred to as literary non-fiction or creative non-fiction. This very popular genre informs the reader with facts and detailed accounts of real-life events, but is written in an engaging and dramatic way designed to grip the reader’s attention and make the reading experience enjoyable. It uses the techniques usually associated with fiction writing, such as plot, character, and detailed scene-setting. Narrative non-fiction brings to life true stories like historic events and personal experiences. 13 June 2022 Writing How to Write Amazing Narrative Non-Fiction
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