Nonfiction Ink

Framing your story refers to the way you order the narrative so that the elements of your book are presented in the most interesting way.  As a nonfiction writer your job is to construct your frame to steer the story in a specific direction while engaging the reader and creating a degree of suspense.

Your frame must work in harmony with the content of your story.  Your content is the inciting incident, what it is your subject wants, what’s at stake, the conflict he must face and overcome to achieve his goal, how he is transformed by the process, and the ultimate cost for him to succeed.

The frame (or how the content is presented) considers ways the drama of the story is conveyed through scenes, sequences, action, dialogue, tone, pace, style and conflict.

In Part One of In Cold Blood, Truman Capote weaves the timeline of the victims and the killers together, heightening the suspense leading to the tragic murders. Timothy Egan presents the story of The Worst Hard Time in chronological order while inter-cutting modern day reminiscences from survivors – drawing the reader into the devastating emotional consequences.  Mark Bowden recreates the battle of Mogadishu in Black Hawk Down using a narrative that splices together the stories of various individuals in different locations during the combat – keeping the tension high and taking the reader on an action-packed ride.

Robert Evans opens his memoir, The Kid Stays In The Picture, with a compelling scene depicting the premiere of the film “The Godfather” and the end of his marriage to Ali McGraw (the reader is hooked, “Why did his famous wife leave him?  How did he convince Kissinger to attend the premiere the night before a secret mission to Moscow?”), then jumps back in time taking the reader on a journey through his childhood days in New York to his adventurous ups and downs in Hollywood.

How do you determine the best frame for your narrative nonfiction?

1. Read creative nonfiction.  Study how other nonfiction authors arrange their narrative and analyze why it works.
2. Know the story you want to tell.  Set up the elements to serve the narrative.
3. Eliminate unnecessary information (just because you spent months collecting all that research doesn’t mean every little detail should be presented in the book.)
4. Determine your beginning and ending.  What is the most interesting incident you can use to open the story that will keep the reader engaged?  This will most likely revolve around a major action, conflict or resolution.
5. Determine the timeframe of the story you will tell – one week, two days, twenty years.  Will your biography of Lincoln examine the Civil War years, his early years leading to his presidency, or the two weeks prior to his assassination?  Focus on a period of time that allows you to explore your subject and theme in depth.

In the last post I provided resources for locating an expert for your nonfiction book.  Here are a few tips for successfully approaching them.

THE INITIAL CONTACT:

Don’t Feel Intimidated
Most experts  – professors, historians, scientists – are often eager to share their expertise and many are used to granting interviews and fielding questions from the media.  Remember, you have something to offer as well, your publication will help boost their cause, organization, university or business.

Be Professional
If approached professionally, most people will be happy to grant an interview.  It’s appropriate to address a source by his/her formal title (Mr., Professor, Dr.) until you are given permission to be more casual.  Give a brief overview of your project: provide your name and your background (if pertinent), describe your book topic, why you wish to speak to the expert, and the expected length of the interview.  Be transparent – provide the name of your publisher or self-publishing company, if you are emailing your interview request include links to your website or blog for the expert to see you are legitimate.  Let the expert know you will work around their schedule and preferred interview method (email, telephone, or in-person, if feasible) and suggest a few dates and times for the interview (keeping your research deadline in mind.)

Be Prepared
Do your homework: know the expert’s background and area of expertise, as well as the topic you will be discussing.  Be prepared for the interview to take place right then-and-there.  Many times I’ve contacted an expert to set up an interview and received the response, “Let’s do it now”.  Don’t take the chance of losing the interview.  Prior to the initial call, know what you want to ask and prepare a list of questions.

Squash Their Fears
Many experts fear being misquoted.  Assuage their fears by explaining that you record telephone interviews to ensure accuracy.  Give them the option of emailing their answers to your questions, which allows them more time to consider and formulate their words.  NEVER EVER NEVER promise to allow an expert to approve your written copy.  Never ever – did you get that?  Good.

Now get out there and contact those experts!

All the elements in your book flow from the subject you are writing about.  Whether you are writing a traditional print book or a digital eBook there are standard elements you will want to incorporate into the structure of your manuscript.  Prior to creating a detailed outline, you can start preparing to write your book by selecting which elements you will include in your book and organizing those elements into a binder.

Most books are divided into three main parts: front matter, text, and back matter

FRONT MATTER
The front matter is all of the material that is placed at the beginning of the book, before the first chapter.

TESTIMONIALS
Endorsements or excerpts from positive reviews are placed first as they have been shown to significantly increase sales.

TITLE PAGE
Lists the complete title of the book and the name of the author

COPYRIGHT PAGE
Probably the most important page in the book – and not optional!  This is where you print the copyright notice, the printing history (the number of printings and revisions), the Library of Congress Catalog number, the ISBN, name and address of the publisher, and the printing location (for example, printed in the United States of America).

DEDICATION PAGE
A place to list the person to whom you are dedicating the book (for my loyal companion, Fluffy).

EPIGRAPH PAGE
Includes a quotation that sets the tone of the book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lists each chapter number and title and the page number where each chapter begins.  Your table of contents is a powerful selling tool.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Most books do not include a list of illustrations unless the book contains many images or charts.

FOREWORD
The foreword contains comments about the book and the author written by a recognized authority or celebrity.

PREFACE
The preface is written by the author and explains why and how he or she wrote the book.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A place to thank everyone who contributed or supported the writing of your book.

INTRODUCTION
The introduction is written by the author and defines and outlines the organization and scope of the work.

PERMISSIONS
Lists permissions received for reprinting any copyrighted material (such as song lyrics).

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
Usually only included in dense technical books.

TEXT
The text section is the main body of the book.

CHAPTERS AND DIVISIONS
The book’s chapters and divisions should be carefully arranged in a way that best presents the information to the reader.  Chapters may contain additional elements, such as: subheadings, lists, sidebars, case histories or anecdotal stories, quizzes, checklists, exercises, charts, tables, footnotes, or photographs.  Narrative nonfiction will also include scenes and dialogue.

BACK MATTER
The back matter is reference material placed at – you guessed it – the back of the book.

AFTERWORD / EPILOGUE
The section usually contains a personal message from the author to the reader wishing them luck in using the information presented in the book.

APPENDIX
May contain samples, templates, resources, checklists and a recommended reading list related to your subject.

GLOSSARY
An alphabetical listing of terms used in the book along with their definitions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lists reference material or sources used to write the book

INDEX
The index provides an alphabetical list of the topic covered in the book and the page where the subject is mentioned.  Creating an index for your book is important.  It helps readers locate specific information in the text.  Most libraries will not purchase a book that does not contain an index.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A short paragraph listing biography information about the author.

STAY-TUNED: In my next post I will discuss Fair Use in Creative Works.