How do I Organize my Chapters in Nonfiction and Memoir?

writing coach cynde christie

First, you have a great idea for a nonfiction book or memoir. You’ve done the research, compiled the notes, or lived the life you want to share with your readers. Now what? Your chapters are in rough draft form, (hopefully you have been working with an editor so they are not too rough), but how do you know the best way to present this information to a reader so that they will get the most out of what you are trying to impart? How do you make the story or non fiction study flow? Do you start at the beginning …

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How do I make the information in my book flow in an understandable way?

Information in the Nonfiction World When you decide to write a nonfiction book, you generally have some information to impart. Whether your book is about teaching the reader how to build a better mouse trap or understand their deepest feelings, nonfiction books by their very nature, are about information. They are filled with facts of some kind. After all, if it was all made up, it would be fiction! The exception to this rule is narrative nonfiction, or creative nonfiction. This genre includes memoir and historical fiction based on factual events and people. While the book is based on fact, …

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Inspiration from M. Csiksgentmihalyi~

Some years ago I participated in Dr. Martin Seligman’s first international Authentic Happiness program and it included conversations in real time with positive psychology pioneers. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi spoke engagingly about creativity and I was inspired to read his book FLOW: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Today I’m sharing a quote from his book CREATIVITY: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. “Creative individuals are remarkable for their ability to adapt to almost any situation and to make do with whatever is at hand to reach their goals.” Aha! Sounds like resiliency! P.S. In order to pronounce his name with …

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