Posted by I wrote my first nonfiction story for #SunWriteFun contest this past summer. Thinking of a full story arc with a extreme word constraints challenged me as a writer! Here’s some of things I learned:
What I Considered
- The Hook: what elements make the overall NF story interesting? Brainstorm the angle. Follow the drama.
- Be Specific: what research can you do beyond Google or Wikipedia? Read related books aimed at children and adults. Research newspapers, photos, videos, and other primary resources.
- Personal Connection: how can I personally connect to the #NF story? Why is the NF topic interesting to me? How might kids also find that topic interesting?
- The Voice: what writing tools, such as lyrical language, POV, sensory researched details, can I use to make the story sound like my own?
Resources
🌐The #NFFest Activity Grid: 30 days of activities tasks to jumpstart your non-fiction story.
🌐Non-Fiction versus Information Fiction by Kathy Halsey: A librarian’s take of two types of non-fiction.
🌐 Narrative Nonfiction (Children’s Book Insider): Writing tips.
🌐 Five kids of Nonfiction by Melissa Stewart: Brief overview of nonfiction genres.
🌐 Nonfiction (KidLit411): NF resource collection.