What we learned about … non-fiction writing

Inspiring advice from author and philosopher Julian Baggini on how to kick-start the writing process – and keep focused on your goals. No matter how much expertise you have to share, writing can often seem like a daunting task. We eavesdropped on a recent master-class with philosopher and author Julian Baggini to learn what it […]

Inspiring advice from author and philosopher Julian Baggini on how to kick-start the writing process – and keep focused on your goals.
No matter how much expertise you have to share, writing can often seem like a daunting task. We eavesdropped on a recent master-class with philosopher and author Julian Baggini to learn what it takes to write compelling non-fiction.
During his course earlier this year, Julian shared advice on how to kick-start the writing process, develop ideas, and make non-fiction appealing to both readers and publishers. Here’s a specially curated selection of writing tips from his master-class – and some pragmatic advice on how to keep motivated.
Your biggest challenge as a non-fiction writer will be to make your work interesting to other people. If you’re passionate about a subject, it can often be difficult to imagine others not sharing your enthusiasm – imagine trying to convince an uninterested sceptic at a party that your book matters.
Write a one – or two-sentence blurb that explains what your book is about – and keep this in mind during the writing process. This will help you to avoid rambling and ensure that very sentence justifies its place.
Work hard. Avoid both despair and delusions of grandeur! Focus on making your writing as good as it can possibly be. Try to avoid thinking about self-doubt or publishing success. Stay grounded.
Read your drafts aloud to yourself – it’s a great way of seeing if the sentences flow. If your writing is awkward to read aloud, it’s probably awkward to read on the page as well.
Be a rigorous but compassionate self-critic. Always look for what could be better, not for what you think you’ve done well. Don’t settle for good enough but don’t demand perfection, either!
Listen to other people’s criticism carefully – if someone doesn’t understand something in your manuscript, it’s likely that others won’t.
Chapter 1 might become Chapter 10. Always begin writing with a structure in mind – this will enable you to get started. But be flexible if it starts to become a straitjacket. Battle-plans often don’t survive first contact with the enemy.
Writing is like climbing. If you look up or down, writing a book can sometimes feel like climbing a mountain. Don’t be intimidated by the size of your project, or the amount of time it’ll take to complete. Just focus on your next step – and don’t forget to enjoy it!
Julian’s books include ‘The Ego Trick’ and ‘Freedom Regained.’
Source: The Guardian UK