Nonfiction, though factual, can often be read like fiction. This balancing act between fact and storytelling makes most nonfiction writing captivating.
After all, most information can be dry. Without some narrative magic, it’s hard to compel people to read. But how do you, as a writer, keep this balance from tilting too much into one side or the other?
Nonfiction Storytelling
Nonfiction is grounded in actual events, people, and places, emphasizing accuracy and authenticity. Presenting those facts, however, is a challenge many nonfiction writers need help with.
People have, time and again, proven that if a story isn’t persuasive it quickly gets dropped. It’s why fiction is so effective in keeping people’s attention. All these fictional worlds are ripe for the human imagination to eat up.
It is this hunger that nonfiction writers need to feed. Done right, nonfiction can evoke emotion, engage the senses, and fire up the imagination—all while informing readers and shedding light on important truths.
Practical Tips
Here are a few fundamental tips to keep in mind when trying to balance facts and storytelling in your nonfiction writing.
1. Use a narrative structure.
All literature has a story. Nonfiction writing is simply more constrained as it needs to adhere to facts.
Use a narrative structure to set how you’ll go from point A to point B. The most basic structure you can use is the three-act structure. Figure out the beginning, middle, and end of your story. Decide what facts will best support the story and where they should go.
2. Alternate between depth and brevity.
Info dumping is as much of a problem in nonfiction as in fiction. Don’t overwhelm your readers and don’t get caught up in unnecessary details.
In general, provide enough information for your readers to understand the general picture. You can be more specific if needed, such as when describing an unfamiliar or complex process.
For example, there’s no need to narrate how a person uses a rice cooker. It’s a fairly common kitchen equipment whose operation is familiar to most people. Even if they don’t how it works, everyone knows its purpose. Cooking rice in bamboo, however, needs a bit more explanation.
3. Be consistent with your tone and voice.
Consistency in tone and voice smoothens the reader’s journey through your work. The last thing you want is to build up momentum only to ruin it with a sudden change.
When you maintain that momentum, your facts and storytelling meld into one thing: experience. They don’t notice the individual elements of your writing but fully appreciate the entirety of it.
4. Use anecdotes.
Anecdotes are a great way to convey information without info dumping. They provide real-life examples, make abstract ideas more objective, and get your point across more convincingly.
Use them to illustrate a fact instead of simply telling it. Check out the difference between these two passages:
- People often took short naps in the afternoon, called a siesta.
- In the afternoon, people often took breaks to find shelter from the burning sun. You’d see many of them napping—called a siesta—in every shade they could find.
Show, don’t tell. The first doesn’t offer much while the second paints a picture that effectively describes the information you want to convey.
The best anecdotes are from your personal experiences and observations. However, it is also common to relay a story, if it’s relevant to yours, from another source. Just give credit where it is due.
5. Use your creative license.
Unless you’re writing the news, word-for-word accuracy isn’t required. There is room for hyperbole, sarcasm, irony, and other literary techniques. You can even get away with nonlinear writing. Use them in dialogue, during descriptive details, or for emotional impact.
Consider these two sentences:
- My guide seemed like a giant, towering over the trees around us.
- My guide was tall.
The first is obviously exaggeration. Everyone who reads it will understand that you’re simply using a literary device to get your point across in an entertaining way.
But there is a limit. You can’t use your creative license if it effectively misrepresents a fact or misleads your readers.
6. Character development.
Just like any story, nonfiction characters should undergo progress in your narrative. Because they’re actual people, take extra care to portray them accurately and fairly.
Delve into the motivations, thoughts, emotions, and backgrounds of these people. Focusing on these allows you to show how nuanced these characters are.
You don’t want to write caricatures that fold under closer scrutiny. All people are complicated beings. That complexity will deepen your storytelling while also accurately portraying how these people are in real life.
7. Engage the senses.
Sometimes the best stories are the ones that let their readers’ imaginations take the lead. Use sensory details to set the scene and to let your readers easily reconstruct it in their minds.
Consider these two sentences:
- It was hot that day.
- We stood under the shade of the porch, sipping iced tea while watching heat waves shimmer over the pavement.
Unlike the first, the second provides enough context to paint a picture. However, as stated in tip #2, if the context isn’t necessary, don’t overdo your descriptions. Describing more than is necessary will only make your piece a pain to read.
8. Understand your audience.
Always take time to pinpoint, research, and understand your audience. It’s how you’ll know the most effective way to grab and hold their attention.
Think of who will read your writing. What are their ages, backgrounds, preferences, expertise, and possible problems? The better you understand them, the more relatable your storytelling will be, and the better you can tailor your information to suit their needs.
Finding the Balance
Facts are the building blocks of your work. They provide evidence to your claims and reinforce your credibility. However, too many facts can be boring.
Storytelling is what glues these facts into a coherent and entertaining whole. Through it, you can educate, inspire, provoke thought, evoke emotions, or simply convey a message. However, too much storytelling can lead to a loss of information.
Finding the balance between these two is crucial to becoming a successful nonfiction writer. There are no strict rules on achieving this but there are some basic things to consider. The ones mentioned earlier are just a few.
How do you balance facts and storytelling? Share them in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 5 Tips on How to Market a Nonfiction Book
- 7 Common Nonfiction Writing Mistakes to Watch Out For
- 10 Reasons Why You Should Write Nonfiction
- 10 Tips on Conducting Interviews for Your Nonfiction Book
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
