Non-fiction.

[Robert Donnell]

I was researching something for a Sci-Fi thriller chapter and realized that I had enough to actually write a book on the subject. My posts on the subject had quickly gained 4200 hits on a forum, this tells me that there is an interest in the subject among the general population.

My problem is, I don't write non-fiction, how does this sound?

So start with a thesis, tell them what I am going to tell them. Then tell them. Then tell them what I told them.

Introduction, data, conclusion.

 

[ArelEndan]

How long of a piece are you planning on writing? The thesis/introduction, data, conclusion format sounds more like a research paper than a book. For a fairly short paper (up to maybe 15 pages), this is a good structure to start with. For something longer, I'd recommend taking the time to lay out what points (which could become chapters in a book) you want to cover, and in what order. Then each chapter could present a kind of "sub-thesis", data, and a conclusion that fits into the overall tone of the book, which could be established with an introduction that basically says "this is what I'm going to be talking about and why I'm going to be talking about it."

For example, when I was writing a 25-page undergraduate research thesis, I tried writing it as one long paper, but the transitions became too hard to deal with. I opted for an introduction that outlined my basic points and presented the thesis, three sections that explored those points and offered evidence for the thesis, and a conclusion that summed up and tied together all the points.

 

[Robert Donnell]

Well I am already up to page 26 so it already is too unwealdy for my planned format I may do:

A. an intro
B. history
C. modern
D. how to
E. philosphy

 

[Robert Donnell]

Well I am 25% into the work and it will be mighty short, but that is okay. My philosophy is to start at the beginning go all the way through to the end, then stop however long or short that may be.

 

[Chilari]

I also write non-fiction occasionally. Nothing as long as a book, but with two university dissertations, about 8 articles posted online and a load of uni essays besides I have some experience of writing for different non-fiction audiences.

One of the first things you need to do is decide on your audience. Who is this aimed at? What is its purpose? It is an introductory study for the general public? Something a little more in depth for interested amateurs? For undergraduate students? I assume it's not for a more academic audience than that and in any case I'd struggle to advise on that.

I guess the important thing is knowing how to structure it. I had a lot of trouble structuring both of my dissertations, and from that I would say my best tips would be:

1. Know the limits of the work. If there's some information that's only tangentally related to the core of your work, discard it. If it doesn't address the central queston and has no bearing on most of what you're looking at, it is irrelevant and will only serve as a distraction.

2. Know the limits of your time and ability to research. When you're writing for yourself you don't have a word limit like a dissertation, but that doesn't mean you can just keep writing forever. Look at all the information you've got and think about how much time and research it would take to write a chapter on each of the sections you are considering including. Then think about what is most important, what is most interesting, what is possible to research, and pick the best bits to include. Discard the rest.

3. Dig deep. Don't just stop researching because what you've researched is enough to write something about. Keep researching until you've run out of sources. It will make what you produce more rounded, more complete.

Good luck.