ISLAND WRITERS – NONFICTION

FIRST MEETING 9-2021 – NONFICTION

First Draft Checklist – Worksheets for constructing nonfiction blog posts or book chapters.

Last week we discussed the essentials of creating Non-fiction. Get access to the worksheets with the above link button if you need them.

For homework, you are supposed to come up with 300 – 700 words of a nonfiction work. We will share these in class.

A few key points to remember:

1. Your first draft is just that, a very rough draft, don’t worry about getting it perfect, just get it down. Think about a tree before it becomes a table, it has to be cut down then lots of sanding and shaping happens.
2. You will almost always go back and redo your first sentence after you finish.
3. If you are having trouble with beginning or with a topic to write about, remember the brain dump. Don’t think about it but write down what comes to mind – phases, sentences, thoughts. See if there is a common thread or theme, combine those, and settle on 5 points and number from 1 – 5, most important first, begin there. 
4. Write as if you are talking to a friend that you are wanting to share a story or lesson with.
5. Do you have the Foundational Questions answered?  Who, What, Where, When, Why, & How.
6. Anything you write must move your reader to some type of change or challenge. If your work is moving to you, it will be moving to others.
7. Don’t be afraid to write what you really feel or want to say, stop judging yourself. Being transparent is key to being a writer.

NEXT, SEE – HOW TO USE YOUR FAVORITE BOOK TO LEARN HOW TO WRITE