Tag Archives: writing nonfiction

What is the Ladder of Abstraction Part 2 by Sandi Somers

In Part 1 of “What Is the Ladder of Abstraction?”, I covered the basic concepts. Our speaking and writing can be compared to different rungs on a ladder. As your words climb up ladder, you increase the abstract language—concepts, ideas, and meaning. As you climb down to the bottom rungs, your language becomes more concrete—as… Read more »

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Three Steps to Using Narrative in Nonfiction by Pamela Mytroen

“Never could any one say of their illustrations that they were windows that exclude the light, and passages that lead to nothing.” ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon in defense of writers who use narratives How do you use a narrative in a nonfiction piece? First, decide what the meat of your message is before you decide… Read more »

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Opinion Pieces Need Muscled Middles by Pamela Mytroen

Nonfiction has unique challenges with middles. A reader may notice that the body of the piece flops around in too many directions rather than delivering a muscled middle. This divergence should be addressed at the very beginning of every opinion piece by developing a focused thesis.

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