At writers conferences I often receive questions like these:
- Will publishers be interested in my book if it’s already been self-published? (Answer: Yes, as long as the self-published version sold well.)
- I need to be published to get an agent; I need an agent to get published. What gives? (Answer: Do something to get an agent’s attention. For example, start a blog and build a readership.)
- How do I write a book proposal? (Answer: read my series of posts on just this topic!)
But here’s a question I wish I received more often:
- What’s your top piece of advice on writing excellent nonfiction?
The reason that’s a good question is because writing really good nonfiction is not only a good way to get a contract, it’s also a great way to build an audience. Unfortunately I have seen authors who write well go relatively unnoticed, but writers whose books perform well book after book after book rarely do so without excellent writing.
My Top Piece of Writing Advice
So here it is, my top piece of advice for writing great content: be concrete.
Imagine all writing exists on a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid is abstract writing, writing that may explain or teach but doesn’t show or engage the imagination. The bottom of the pyramid is concrete writing. It shows or illustrates. It does engage the imagination; it helps me see (or hear or smell or taste or touch) something.
The best communicators (I think this is probably true of speakers and writers) push as much of their content to the bottom of the pyramid as possible.
Now, are there exceptions? Yes. Sometimes a thought or an idea is so compelling that it can grab and hold a reader’s attention.
But more often than not the way to engage readers and hold their interest is to invite them into a scene.
Your job as a writer is to create an experience the reader doesn’t want to quit. Often the best way to do that is with concrete writing.
Examples of Concrete Writing
Following are some examples of concrete writing:
- Stories
- Metaphors
- Illustrations
- Dialogue
- Images
- Sensory writing (writing that engages the five senses)
When it comes to concrete writing, a key question is this: Is it filmable? If a piece of writing is filmable, you can be sure it’s concrete.
Or listen to how Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones puts it:
Several years ago I wrote down a story that someone had told me. My friends said it was boring. I couldn’t understand their reaction; I loved the story. What I realize now is that I wrote “about” the story, secondhand. I didn’t enter it and make friends with it. I was outside it; therefore, I couldn’t take anyone else into it. This does not mean you can’t write about something you did not actually experience firsthand; only make sure that you breathe life into it. Otherwise it is two times removed and you are not present.
In other words, get into the narrative. Write it from the inside so that others can experience it with you. Don’t just convey information. Get into it and invite readers to get into it with you.
More Tips for Concrete Writing
Stories work especially well at the beginnings of chapters. Grab them with a story, and they’re more likely to hang with you for the rest of the chapter. But feel free to use more stories throughout the chapter!
Do a story/image audit of a given chapter. Note the places where you go on for a while without a story or image or sound, and try to find ways to add them in. Even better: replace the non-narrative material with narrative material.
If you’re writing history, instead of recounting facts, try imagining a scene and bringing us into it. David Mccullough and Jeff Shaara have made a career of this.
Ask yourself, “Is there a way to unpack this principle with a story or metaphor or illustration?” A metaphor or image can do a lot of work for you.
As you shape your content to be more and more concrete, you’ll be creating an experience that readers relish.
Question: How have you used stories in your own writing to good effect? What nonfiction books have you read that make good use of story? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Great points. Thanks for listing them and for pulling n’ pointing us in the direction of Great Writing. Doing your (purpose) thing eh. Smiles. Appreciated!
Thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to comment!
So true!
“Breathe life” into the story. Get right inside and yank your reader along.
An nonfiction author that comes to mind who uses stories to his advantage is Charles Duhigg with ‘The Power of Habit’ and ‘Smarter Faster Better.’
Thanks, Chad!
How do I write stories when my stories are those of interactions between staff, children, and parents? I must maintain complete confidentiality. I know I need to change details, but when I change age, personality characteristics, setting, etc. the crux of the story gets lost. Any ideas?
I love the pyramid analogy! This is really good advice, Chad. I have seen how much of a difference it makes in people’s response to my writing to have good stories, well told, conveying the ideas. Now if I can only do it more often…
It definitely involves a different kind of thinking! But your readers will be grateful for the effort (to say nothing of your publisher)!
I LOVE the pyramid analogy! The visual is a great reminder that writing needs to be “grounded” in a reader’s reality. Thanks – that will stick in my head!
Lysa TerKeurst pops to mind (e.g., her recent book “Unglued”). She does a great job of writing in a relatable way by using her own stories to illustrate her points. I also love the “everyday” voice of Francis Chan.
With my current proposal, I’m starting each chapter with a relatable personal anecdote demonstrating how the faith barriers of 20-somethings start to develop in seemingly innocuous ways during the parenting of young children (age 3-12). That’s the set-up for the rest of the chapter that shows how parents of young kids can already plant the spiritual seeds needed for their children to eventually overcome those barriers with confidence (each chapter focuses on a different barrier). With the pyramid analogy in mind, I think parents have to first see practical examples of how these faith barriers take root in the everyday parenting of young kids (the “concrete”) before they can 1) be convicted of the need to proactively take action and 2) feel empowered with an understanding of how to do so.
Well said, Natasha, and I think you’re absolutely right. I’m reading Generation to Generation by Edwin Friedman, which is a book on family systems theory, and the best parts of his book are his examples! Honestly I’d be totally lost without them.
As one who loves both concepts and narrative, this is a big help. For me, the pyramid image actually activates that connection between the theoretical and the narrative because it isn’t telling me a story, per se, but giving me an image to imagine visually. Seth Godin is a master of that same concept.
Good point, Drew. Concrete writing need not be narrative. It can also be metaphorical or dialogical.
Shaara and McCollough are two of my favorites. Shaara and James McPherson are the reason I became so fascinated with the Civil War.
In my own writing, I’ve started with Bible stories and adding fictional characters into them who have stories of their own to tell.
And what a great way to learn the Bible! Thanks, C.C.!
I’m really glad to hear this and the pyramid is a good analogy. I’m finishing my non-fiction book now and have used analogy, storytelling and illustrations to teach people about my subject (wine) instead of dry facts. I thought it was a bit of a risk, but this has spurred me on! Thanks.
Awesome! One immediately thinks of wine movies like Sideways and Bottle Shock. Wow, can wine get interesting or what? Press on! Get it, “press” on…never mind. Thanks for commenting!
Great advice. I find the pyramid example especially helpful. I think stories really help connect ideas. They also help define the voice of a writer. I loved Jen Hatmaker’s Seven (thank you) she effortlessly weaves hilarious story into her content. When I started out I leaned toward abstract especially in my fiction. My first critiques made it clear that I was going down the wrong track. Learning to fix that has made my writing a hundred times sharper. Thank you!
You’re most welcome, and your readers will be glad you’re learning this vital skill.