nonfiction-craft

Write or plan non-fiction: $ARGUMENTS

$ARGUMENTS can include:

• A topic to write about (write: [topic])
• A thesis to develop (thesis: [statement])
• An existing piece to improve (improve: [path or text])
• A format: essay, article, chapter, book-outline, op-ed, thought-leadership, longform, memoir-essay
• A target audience (audience: [description])
• A research brief (research: [topic]) — pairs with author-research skill
• Empty — ask what the user is working on

The Non-Fiction Problem

Fiction creates a world. Non-fiction reveals one. The craft challenge is different: you must make real things as vivid as invented ones, and you must be honest about what you know and don't know while still being compelling to read.

The enemy of good non-fiction is not inaccuracy — it's boredom. The reader already has the facts available to them. They're reading you for the meaning, the frame, the argument, the surprise.