No matter how much expertise you have to share, writing can often seem like a daunting task. We eavesdropped on a recent masterclass 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 kickstart 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 masterclass - and some pragmatic advice on how to keep motivated.
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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. Battleplans often don’t survive first contact with the enemy.
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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. Find out more on his website.
Interested in non-fiction writing? Join us for a masterclass this November. Browse our full range of courses here.
