Story Grid Writing Podcast cover image

Story Grid Writing Podcast

Story Grid and Non-fiction

Sep 1, 2016
Dive into the world of non-fiction as the hosts explore its four main categories and how storytelling techniques breathe life into academic and how-to writing. They discuss the challenges of narrative non-fiction, especially through the lens of insider trading scandals, revealing moral complexities of characters involved. Personal stories intertwine with broader narratives, showing how family histories shape choices. The art of journalism is also examined, focusing on crafting engaging arcs and the ethical responsibilities of storytelling.
47:48

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Non-fiction is categorized into four types, including academic, how-to, narrative, and Big Idea, each requiring distinct writing approaches and structures.
  • Effective narrative non-fiction merges factual accuracy with storytelling techniques, requiring writers to select relevant details that enhance emotional engagement and thematic depth.

Deep dives

Four Categories of Non-Fiction

Non-fiction can be divided into four distinct categories that help writers structure their work effectively. The first category is academic non-fiction, which delivers research and findings targeted at experts within specific fields, lacking a narrative drive. The second category, how-to books, offers practical guidance on mastering various skills, emphasizing a process-driven approach rather than storytelling. The third category is narrative non-fiction, which applies storytelling techniques to true events, and the final category, the Big Idea Book, merges elements from the previous categories to present overarching themes associated with influential concepts.

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