Learn How Professional Non-Fiction Writers Become Professional Non-Fiction Writers!

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a Professional Non-Fiction Writer?

This course will help you learn how to write blogs, news articles, video scripts and much more. You’ll also learn how to develop writing skills that will enable you to write more clearly and concisely to your targeted audience.

Topics Covered Include:

• Nature of Non-Fiction Writing
• Writing Forms and Media Options
• News Writing
• Travel Writing
• Memoirs and Biography
• Writing about Leisure Activities
• Writing about Food and Diet
• Writing about Wellbeing
• Fact-Based Storytelling
• The Business of Non-Fiction Writing.
• See Lessons for more details.

Non-fiction books can be more financially viable than fiction when sold online. Non-fiction books can command higher prices because of their content and sometimes because of the author’s profile.

When the author or publisher has a strong understanding of search engine optimisation (SEO) practices and keyword searches, the books can be effectively promoted to specific readers.

Lesson 1: Scope and Nature of Non-Fiction Writing

• Non-Fiction Styles
• Types of Non-Fiction Writing
• Academic vs Commercial Non-Fiction Writing

Lesson 2: Writing Forms and Media Options

• Sample Author Platform
• Using Fiction Techniques to Create Strong Non-Fiction Texts
• Making a Story Memorable

Lesson 3: News Writing

• Writing News
• Headlines
• Lede

Lesson 4: Travel Writing

• Commercial Travel Writing
• Overused Descriptions in Travel Writing
• Holidays

Lesson 5: Memoirs and Biography

• Types of Memoirs – Confessional, Transformational, Portrait, Professional
• Diaries
• How to Write a Memoir or Biography

Lesson 6: Writing about Leisure Activities

• Introduction
• Niche or Widespread Writing
• Leisure and Hobby Writing

Lesson 7: Writing about Food and Diet

• How to Write about Food
• Constructing a Food Article
• Sensory Writing

Lesson 8: Writing about Wellbeing

• How to Write about Health and Wellbeing
• Grounding and Context
• Plain English

Lesson 9: Fact-Based Storytelling

• Storytelling at Work
• Storytelling with Data
• Sales and Marketing

Lesson 10: The Business of Non-Fiction Writing

• Successful Writers
• Collaborative Writing
• Delivering your Work

Many of us were encouraged to write diaries as children. As adults, we tend to consider our diaries as to-do lists and appointments only. However, writing a regular journal can help us to break through habitual thought patterns in order to find our creative potential, and explore our own knowledge and wisdom.

What type of journal?

Your first task is to decide and plan what sort of journal you wish to write. There is a wide range of topics, and rather than allow your mind to flow freely across all sorts of subjects, you may wish to plan the scope of your journal before you start. These may include dreams, travel, studying, daily events, creativity, spiritual experiences, relationships, nature – the choice is yours, and there are so many exciting possibilities.

Journaling can be done using other media too. For some people, quilting provides a way of telling a story. Doodling, sketching, painting, photography or scrapbook-making can be used as expressive media for daily events.

The benefits of regular journal-writing

Writing regularly about our lives helps to retain or gain a sense of perspective. In bad times, it may be difficult to remember that life does not always feel this way. It is also difficult to imagine that you will not feel bad in the future.  Daily writing gives proof that most things are temporary. Re-reading a journal after a time of change and worry can often be an important part of healing. The passage of time always introduces a new perspective.

Journaling can capture fleeting thoughts on paper. Unless we capture these insights, they can float away or become less clear. We can start understanding our thinking patterns, and use journaling exercises to think in different ways.

Writing down our feelings is beneficial in the search for the resolution of a problem. When we write, thinking is forced to slow down; hand movements are slower than our flashing thoughts. Mental images can also be fragmented or incomplete. By writing down our thoughts through to their conclusions, we can understand them – and ourselves – better.

Journaling can provide a memory aid. More of our faculties are used when we write down words. When we merely hear information, it is considered that we can only recall 10 – 20% of it within a couple of days. If we write it down, we can double our recall from 20% to 40% (even without re-reading it) because we have reinforced our thoughts through vision and motion. We can also identify self-limiting beliefs and contact a wealth of insights, imagination wisdom and creativity.

Sometimes, our conscious minds can be our own worst enemies, justifying poor decisions, and rationalising self-limiting beliefs. Negative thoughts can taunt us, repeating themselves and preventing us from moving on. Journaling can allow us to get off this carousel and gain new perspectives and insights. All you need is paper and a pen – or a computer file.

If you keep a diary, how has it helped you? Let us know in the comments!