How to Write a Nonfiction Book By Deborah Froese
Part II: Drafting Your Manuscript
IWith your outline and support materials in hand, it’s time to begin drafting your manuscript. (If you don’t have these pieces, review Part I: Find Your Core Message.) Even seasoned writers compose more than one draft to ensure their ideas are clear and compelling, so don’t dwell on perfection. Just get that first draft done.
Take note of anything that requires further development or research so you can tend to it later and avoid distraction.
Step 3: Analyze Your Manuscript
Does your manuscript segue between ideas or use headlines to mark transitions? Is it easy to follow? Is the theme apparent? Does the text have an emotional draw, a “hook” that engages the intended audience? Would the text benefit from more or fewer anecdotes and other support materials? Does it use dialogue, emotion, and scenes to bring anecdotes to life? Are there any information gaps? Are citations included wherever appropriate? (Track them as you go to prevent headaches later on.) Pay attention to those little niggles that tell you something is wrong. They’re usually right. Once you’ve completed your first draft, put it away for a few days to clear your head. Then analyze. Resist the urge to fiddle with the text until you’ve examined it as a whole. Instead, ask yourself the following questions and take notes:
Step 1: The Introduction
Note the problem your book addresses and how it impacts readers. Tell readers why you’re the person who can help. Let readers know what to expect in your pages. Provide a call to action: what can readers do with what they learn from your book? Unless you’re writing a memoir, which typically has a more story-like quality, you’ll need an introduction. The introduction should: Preparing a compelling introduction will help you keep your thoughts focused as you draft the rest of your manuscript.
Step 2: The Rest of Your First Draft
Write daily to stay on task. Resist the urge to continuously review and refine what you have already written—unless it’s simply to refresh your memory before you move forward. Slugging out that first draft can be intimidating. Settle in front of your computer knowing that the first draft is intended for no one’s eyes but your own. If it sucks, you’re in good company. Daniel Pink, author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing and other books, says, “For me, the writing never comes easy. . . . most times, I’ll just sit there, suffer, write shitty sentences, and hope I can make the next draft less putrid.”
Step 4: Implement Changes
Review your notes and begin implementing changes. Then repeat Steps 3 and 4 on your revisions. In Part III, we’ll discuss some tips for refining your text with an editor’s eye—even if you don’t have one.
Author, editor, and story coach Deborah Froese is on a mission to spark change through the stories we share. www.deborahfroese.com
Bestselling Author Daniel Pink on the Science of Timing, Putrid First Drafts, and Testing Ideas,” interview, Writing Routines, https://www.writingroutines.com/daniel-pink-interview/ “ 1.
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