the crafty writer's creative writing course

The Crafty Writer's

Non-fiction writing course.

• Non-fiction writing

In this first session of our eight-part course on non-fiction writing we will be looking at what opportunities there are out there, finding ideas and how to write letters to the editor. So, without further ado…

The non-fiction market

It has been estimated that 75% of all books published every year are non-fiction. In the UK, where around 100,000 titles are released every year, that is about 75,000 books; in the USA, it is far more. Why is it then that most writers spend their lives chasing the elusive dream of getting their novel published? There is no reason why you can’t do both, of course, but you will have a better chance of getting a non-fiction book published than fiction.

And it’s not just books, I’ve made a very successful career out of writing feature articles for magazines, which we’ll be looking at in a later session.

Why write non-fiction?

If you are the kind of writer who is interested in everything from yaks in the Urals to holidays in Havana then non-fiction may be for you. The first characteristic of a successful non-fiction writer is curiosity. Imagine having an opportunity to read and discover everything there is to know on a subject; if that gets you excited, you’re in the right place. And there are other advantages too. Firstly, you can get paid for it. You can earn anything from £100 to £1000 for an article, although £300 is the average. For a non-fiction book, you will get paid an advance and then royalties on all sales and Public Lending Right fees (for library loans).

Non-fiction publishers are still open to receiving proposals directly from the author so you don’t have to have an agent before they give you the time of day. You also don’t have to write the whole book in advance. I feel desperately sorry for fiction writers who slog away for years with no guarantee of payment or publication. With a non-fiction book, publishers prefer that you don’t write more than a couple of sample chapters because they would like input on planning and content. So if you have a proposal turned down (which happens) you’ve only wasted a few weeks rather than a few years.

Know your market

The first thing to do is check out the market to see who is publishing what. Go into book shops and stationers and check out what is on the shelf. If you find there are books on nearly every breed of dog apart from the rare Saluki you own, there might be a gap in the market for that. For both magazines and books you need to propose a subject that is unique but at the same time still fits in with the style of article or the kind of books the publisher already publishes. For example, it’s no use sending an article on steam engines to a car magazine. The key is to find a unique angle on steam engines (say a locomotive that has been saved from scrap by the grandson of the original train driver) and offer that to the editor.

What do you write about?

I can guarantee that you already have at least three ideas for articles in you before you even start. Take Frank, the fictional author of the steam engine article. Let’s say that Frank has recently retired as a manager of a hardware shop. He’s married to Marie, who breeds Salukis. Marie and Frank met in Malta where he was based in the merchant navy in the 60s. Marie and Frank have three children and four grandchildren. Frank has an allotment and loves steam locomotives. Since retiring, he has taken up the post of voluntary treasurer for his local steam engine restoration museum. Potentially, Frank could write articles on:

• ‘Using the Best Tools For the Job’ for a DIY magazine. This could be a funny article based on the ill-conceived projects of his hardware shop customers. No real names used, of course.
• ‘Breeding and Raising Salukis’. A ‘how to’ book for the doggy market. Whether or not Marie gets co-authorship is up to them.
• ‘What Good is a Grandad?’ an article praising grandfathers, for a parenting magazine.
• ‘Malta Now and Then’ an article for a travel magazine. Depending on how much material Frank has and how much research he’s prepared to do, this could be a book idea too.
• ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Allotments’ for a gardening magazine.
• ‘Restoring the Betty Rose’, the article on the grandson restoring his grandad’s old locomotive we mentioned above.

Of course, Frank may be a terrible writer and never get published, but he certainly can’t blame his lack of success on a shortage of publishable ideas.

Exercise 1: Write a potted biography of yourself. Include information on your family, jobs (present and past), places you’ve lived or travel to regularly, hobbies and interests. Then jot down the names of any friends or family members who may have specialist knowledge of any subject. Even if you’re terminally dull, you can do an interview feature on one of them. Now, look at what you’ve written, and come up with at least three ideas for books / articles that you might be able to write. We’ll look at writing a proposal in a later session.

Letter to the editor

This may seem a bit left-field, but letters to the editor are an excellent way to cut your teeth on non-fiction writing. Through them, you can try your pen at writing publishable material. An editor receives scores of letters each day, week or month, and only publishes the best. He or she will choose letters that are well written, well thought out and put over a distinctive point of view. Those are exactly the same things that they will look for in an article. It is good practise to send letters to your target magazine before you try an article. You will soon know if the editor likes your style. In addition, many magazines offer between £20 and £50 for the best letter, or offer prize gifts to the same value. Even if you can’t do with another tea set, you can give it away as a Christmas present.

Points to consider when writing a letter to the editor:

• Don’t rant. An editor is unlikely to publish someone who is simply letting off steam.
• Don’t tell the editor / journalist / writer how to do their job. Flattery gets you further than criticism.
• If you do feel that an article didn’t do the subject justice, be careful in how you point this out. Say what you enjoyed about the article then mention some other points that might also be considered.
• Do tie in your letter to existing articles. Editors like to know that their articles promote debate.
• Don’t write the letter unless you have additional information or a unique perspective to add to the debate.

Exercise 2: Choose four publications and read them cover to cover. Take particular note of the letters page. What subjects are covered? How long are the letters? Does the style of the letter match the style and tone of the articles? Select an article and draft a letter to the editor in response. If you’re brave, send it off.

Further Resources

Remember to try and get ahold of the ‘textbook’ for this course: Successful Non-fiction Writing which is a good general introduction to non-fiction writing.

In the next session we look at different non-fiction writing styles .

29 comments on “ Non-fiction writing ”

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You said you have published writing feature articles for magazines. Do you need to have a college degree to write non fiction books or articles? Can you recommend an on line credited college that offers creative writing courses? I look forward to doing your free on line creative writing courses too. Thank you for making them available am wondering what you get from it though if you don’t make any money except on the books that are sold? Thank you, JC

Hi JC, no you don’t need a college degree. You just need to be able to write. I don’t know of any credited online colleges I’m afraid. I know the Writers’ Bureau in the UK does correspondence courses but I’m not sure if you can submit your work online. Google them and check. The Open University in the UK also does some journalism courses. I lecture journalism at Newcastle University but that’s not online. What do I get out of it? Well the material was already prepared from a regular 10-week course I used to teach at an adult education centre. When I stopped teaching there the material was sitting around doing nothing so I thought I’d put it online. I enjoy helping people. Sometimes though people want critiques of their work and I charge for that. It also attracts visitors to my website which further attracts advertising. It’s not a big money spinner. But it doesn’t cost me much in time other than answering the odd query. Hope you enjoy the course.

Congratulations and thanks.

Please sign me up for your course on non-fiction

Hello Len. There’s no need to sign up; just get started.

All the best Fiona

Great ! I`m happy to get started ! I can comment on your excellent tuition , but what else do you want me to start with?

PS I am sick with disappointment at the result of the Wales v. France rugby game this morning’

Get started on the course, Len. That is why you’re here, isn’t it? Yes, bad reffing decision.

Just started the first exercise-I wrote my biography (not so potted, I have to confess!) and came up with 9 different things I could write about based on my life and experiences! Thank you for pointing out these don’t have to be books and the value of writing articles-that was not something I had considered.

Well done you! The fact is, you’re likely to write and sell far more articles in your career than books. Hope you enjoy the rest of the course.

Fiona, I just wanted to let you know that I had written a letter to the editor of a magazine as you suggested…and it was published in the American version of VOGUE magazine (June edition). Thank you so much for the guidance and help I have received thus far from your site!

Wow Rebecca, that’s brilliant! Congratulations! I hope you feel encouraged to keep on writing letters and eventually pitch an article to them Hurrah!

Thank you Fiona! Yes, that is the ultimate goal-keep writing and eventually have an article published by VOGUE. 🙂

I have had a couple of magazine articles published, one prose and one technical. The prose was paid for and the technical article was in a fly fishing club journal with worldwide distribution. Several letters to the editor, both magazine and newspaper, have also been published. I still feel uncomfortable with punctuation and sentence structure. Where should I start?

Hi Bruce, I would recommend working through the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Penguin-Writers-Manual-Reference-Books/dp/0140514899/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345969040&sr=8-1 Penguin Writers Manualby Manser and Curtis. I did that at the start of my freelance journalism career and it really helped polish my punctuation and writing style. Another good book which I’ve come across more recently (although it’s an older one than the Penguin) is <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-English-Journalists-Editors-Writers/dp/0140514899/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345969040&sr=8-1 Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers by Harold Evans. It’s on the essential reading list for my journalism students at Newcastle University.

I have a couple of non fiction ideas. One is the story of my cats lives. The other is the story of my reunion with my son I adopted out 59 years ago. I hope your lessons with help guide me get these stories on paper. I would appreciate your comments regarding if you feel my stories would be of interest to any one other than myself. Thank you

Hello Carmen. The adoption story will have some appeal – Philomena has proven that. The cat stories might work as a children’s story along the lines of Judith Kerr but not as a non-fiction articles / story.

Thank you for helping me get a start. I am preparing for my final career after retiring in 12 yrs, writing. I realize I will need greater depth of knowledge to succeed, especially in the mechanics, but this is a good beginning.

Glad it’s helped. And good luck with your new career!

What do you suggest to someone who has a fear of writing and doesn’t know where to start?

Hi Mark. My other course, the Crafty Writer Creative writing course, helps you get started in small baby steps. Give it a go. http://creative-writing-course.thecraftywriter.com/ My other advice would be: at the beginning, write for an audience of one: yourself. That way you will not fear what other people will think of your writing.

I would like to take this course. I have been thinking which one to go for – fiction or non-fiction writing. I decided to take the non-fiction. So, here I am and I think this will really kickstart my writing.

OK, I’m feeling really stressed. I click the link and takes me to a page with lots of great information on it. But, nowhere do I see how to download your free 8 week course. I do see exercised I guess you would call them, but is this part of the course. Sorry to be so dense. Deb

There is nowhere to download it. It’s not a downloadable course. The ‘great information’ IS the course. You do it online as you see it on the website. And yes, the exercises are very much part of it.

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Non-fiction Course Contents

• Non-fiction writing style
• Writing for the internet
• How to write an autobiography
• Freelance travel writing
• How to write a feature article
• Writing a proposal
• Finance, copyright and libel

What you have said:

• “Thanks for all the tips and the excellent advice. Last week I had a 500-word travel article accepted.” - Verica Peacock
• “Excellent advice! Thanks again for your writing course — what a tremendous resource!” - writinggb
• “Your course gave me the confidence to contact editors and send material out, and I’ve now sold both of my first two attempts at feature articles. I’m sure it won’t always be that straightforward, but having a professional approach and layout must go a long way to having your work taken seriously, and this is where I picked up all the tips. So, a BIG thank you from me!” - Karen M

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The Crafty Writer

the business and craft of writing

• Books, stories & articles
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Writing Course Critiques

Although in the past I have offered to critique your course exercises for a nominal fee, as of October 2010 my workload has increased to the point where I can no longer do justice to the many submissions I receive. So, regretfully I have suspended this aspect of the courses, although you will of course still be able to access the course materials and work through them at your own pace.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Happy writing!

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The Crafty Writer's

Creative writing course.

• How to write a Short Story

Check out some books by your tutor Fiona Veitch Smith … (click on the book covers to find out more)

Writing short stories versus writing novels

Most new prose writers have the beginnings of at least one novel in their drawer. They will get to chapter three or four and give up because they don’t have the skill, confidence or stamina to carry on. If you’d never run a marathon you would be a fool to enter the Great North Run without first attempting some shorter distances. Short stories are the best place for new writers to hone their craft. But don’t be fooled, they’re not necessarily the easiest option. It takes a great deal of skill to write a short story that’s effective – you will have to curtail any tendency to ramble on. And not all writers need to be novelists either. I believe F. Scott Fitzgerald was quite comfortable as a short story writer and only produced the occasional novel out of pressure from his publisher, while the great Raymond Carver never wrote a novel in his life.

Short stories are an endangered species

There was once a time when every magazine carried some short fiction. Sadly, that time has passed. Now, apart from some weekly women’s magazines in the UK, short stories have retreated between the dusty covers of literary publications. The situation has become so bad that a group of leading writers and publishers got together to start the Save the Short Story Campaign and are beginning to make good progress.

Short stories appear to be doing far better across the pond in America where the art form is more respected and accessible to ‘ordinary’ readers. However, there are signs that this may not continue. Read Stephen King’s thoughts on the decline of the American short story . You can check out Writer’s Market for a list of North American short story outlets.

How long is a short story?

So what is a short story? Short stories can be anything from 500 to 6000 words. Anything under 500 words tends to be labelled ‘flash fiction’ or ‘micro fiction’ (although some would argue it’s still a short story) and anything over 6000 is moving into novelette or novella territory. I would argue that a short story is something that can be read comfortably in one sitting and doesn’t leave you starving or bloated. Popular magazines tend to accept work of between 1000 – 2000 words, more literary ones go for longer. Children’s short stories tend to be under a thousand words. If you would like to write for younger readers, check out some of my articles on writing for children .

A short story is a slice of life

A short story is a slice of life. As such, you should narrow the time frame and geographical location of the piece. One plot, two or three characters and no more than two locations (one would be better) should fit into a short story. If this is too tight a fit perhaps you should be writing a novella or a novel.

How to begin a short story

• ‘My mother was making me a dress.’ (From ‘Red Dress – 1946′, Dance of the Happy Shades )
• ‘General Sash was a hundred and four years old. ‘ (From ‘A Late Encounter With the Enemy’, The Complete Stories )
• ‘Fact is the car needs to be sold in a hurry, and Leo sends Toni out to do it.’ (From ‘Are These Actual Miles’, The Oxford Book of American Short Stories )

Exercise 4: Jot down questions that arise from these openings and what, if anything, makes you want to read on. If you can get hold of copies of the stories do so. Ask yourself: were the questions answered? Was I satisfied with the answers? Was the answer what I expected?

Exercise 5: Use a trigger image, phrase or thought (see Releasing Your Creativity ) then write down a leading, opening sentence. What questions might be raised? How might you answer those questions in a short story? What setting would be most appropriate to answer the questions? How long will it take for the question to be answered? Can you think of any characters that might help you tell the story and answer the question? (We will be looking at building a character in a future session and try writing another story from their perspective). Look over your answers and see whether or not the outline of a short story is emerging. If not, try another sentence or another trigger image.

Beginning, middle, end

Every short story should have an opening that is developed in the middle to build tension which reaches its climax towards the end, after which there is a rapid conclusion. For those of you who have studied any dramatic or literary theory you will recognise this progression as typical Aristotlean Three Act Structure . In a short story you should not spend too much time in the ‘first act’ where development, setting and exposition take place, and should start your narrative as close to the inciting incident (aka point of change, first turning point or initial crisis) as possible. The inciting incident is the event which upsets the apple cart of the characters’ ordinary world and compels them to act in a certain way in order to bring balance or closure to their disrupted environment. In the Red Dress it is the school dance which the narrator fears will bring humiliation. She then tries to fake illness in order to get out of it, then, when this fails, tries to remain as invisible as possible at the dance. We will look at how a character acts to bring or avoid change change in a future discussion.

Exercise 6: What is the ‘ordinary world’ of your opening sentence? Remember, this may be an abnormal world to most readers, but it should reflect the status quo of your characters before it is challeged or shaken up. What challenges this status quo? This is your inciting incident. Using only three paragraphs (50 – 60 words each) or less, start writing your short story. In this short space you should establish your ordinary world, your main character and the inciting incident of your story.

Obstacles, setbacks, climax and resolution

This is the outline of the rest of your story. Imagine a graph of building tension.

Your story should follow that arc by allowing your character to face obstacles, setbacks and minor victories on the way towards reaching the dramatic climax and bringing resolution.

Exercise 7: If you are graphically minded draw yourself a rough graph or jot down the beginning, middle and end of your story. Now write the story and fill in the gaps. If you’re not so graphically minded, just jot down a few key phrases or events that might carry your story forward to a possible conclusion. Don’t worry, this isn’t cast in stone, and you can change the beginning, middle, end and anything in between at any time. Many writers just write to find their voice. That’s fine. Once you have a first draft, go back and see if it has some kind of structure or arc. If not, you may have to tweak it a little.

I hope this has given you some insight on how to write a short story. Happy writing!

The next creative writing course session is writing from a point of view .

196 comments on “ How to write a Short Story ”

It’s quite confusing exercise 4. Anyone to help me?

What do you find confusing, Ivan? Not sure how to answer without more information. You need to read the opening paragraphs of the stories and then write down any questions that come to mind and make you want to read more of the story. eg Who is General Sharp? How did he manage to live to 104 years old?

I think that was good advise and I think I’m getting some understanding on how to build a story and make it stick on the minds of others as they read and get into my story.

Thanks so much for these tips… It’s a good enough insight.

I appreciate the layout of this course. It will be fun to work through. Clearly, it will take some work. I just wrote my first sentences for a short story:

**Brenda was finished raising kids, and her husband’s business had taken off so that he no longer needed her help. She felt lost and needed some new goals, a fresh purpose. She decided to become a writer. She sat down at the computer. Nothing happened.**

To be continued :0)

So far, so good…thanks a lot!

So far , so good

This giedline is so good for a new short story writer. thank you.

You’re welcome.

I have so enjoyed this lesson. It has shown me another way to write a short story. Which is what I want to do, write children short stories. Thanks!

Question: Pertaining to children’s stories, are Once upon a time stories still wanted and read? I love writing these and I was wondering. I live in America.

Only if written ironically, I’m afraid. So no, not really fashionable anymore.

What is a trigger imagem?

Thanks for the course.

Hi Jessica, if you go back to the first session on Releasing your Creativity, trigger images are discussed there. They are simply picture that help to stimulate (trigger) your ideas. It can be anything that makes you think: hmmm, there’s a story / poem in that. Good luck with your writing.

This is very helpful. Thank you so much for the wonderful insight.

Just finished session on how to write short stories. Let me just say it was actually good to write the being of a story….when all is said and done I am quite proud of whT I have accomplished.

thank you for being so generous with your knowledge, i love your explanations, I will try the exercises soon!!

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Creative Writing Course Contents

• Releasing your Creativity
• Writing from a Point of View (POV)
• Bringing your Writing to Life
• Writing Characters
• Writing dialogue
• Poetry: How to Write Poems
• Markets, Competitions and Opportunities

What you have said:

• “You have a knack for breaking it down into manageable chunks. If only everything was so easy to understand. Thank you!” -  Rebecca Laffar-Smith
• “Really enjoying this course - many thanks for developing this site and offering this inspiring service. I am a PR professional, and so my experience of writing is only ever focused on corporate copy; trying to write creatively feels so incredibly different and far more enjoyable, so thank you for making this course so accessible and enjoyable. I'll be spending the coming weeks doing all of the exercises you have set!” - Mindy
• “OMG! This has really helped me to become way more organized and in my opinion (of course) more polished. My first piece I’m still working on as I leave this comment, but I can see a world of difference as I write and gain ideas to where the story is going. I am so glad I came acroos this site today! Thank you so much for providing this site to ppl like me that desire to write and learn how to but dont have money for schools and courses. If I did I’d be among your MANY students.” -  Keta

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