There are many different types of writing, but the two most common are fiction and non-fiction. Both have their own specific set of rules that must be followed to be successful. But how do you find success in each? We will outline the key elements that make each one unique and give you a few tips on how to write in each genre.
Reader Intent
Naturally, the first thing any writer needs to consider is who their audience is. When you sit down to write a piece of fiction, you need to be clear about who you are writing for. Are you writing a children’s story, a romance novel, or a horror book? Each genre has its own audience, and this difference is amplified when you consider the difference between fiction and non-fiction.
Fiction is written for the enjoyment of the reader, while non-fiction is designed to inform or educate. Generally, fiction is all about entertaining the reader, while non-fiction is about getting a message across. When authors work on works of fiction, their goal is to make people feel – this could be sadness, fear, emotion, happiness, confusion, or something else. On the other hand, writers of non-fiction want to answer questions and show their knowledge on a given topic.
This difference in the audience means that the language you use will be different. When writing fiction, you’ll use language to create a picture in the reader’s mind, while non-fiction uses language to explain ideas and concepts. Fiction is often about making things up, while non-fiction is about writing what actually happened. This means that there’s a lot more room for creativity in fiction, and that non-fiction writing has to be more accurate.
Interpretation
Next, interpretation is another key difference between the two genres. When you’re writing fiction, you can interpret the events of the story however you want. Non-fiction, on the other hand, has to be interpreted as objectively as possible. This is because you’re writing about real people and events, and readers will want to know the truth about what happened.
References
Since non-fiction is all about accuracy and truth, references are very important. When you’re writing non-fiction, you’ll need to make sure that all of your information is coming from reliable sources. This means citing your sources in the text and including a bibliography at the end of the piece. Fiction, on the other hand, doesn’t require any references because you’re making up the story, so there’s no need to worry about accuracy.
If you’re struggling with references or any form of non-fiction writing, look for a non-fiction book editing service to help you out. These services will look over your work, provide feedback, and help you make sure that everything is accurate and up to standard.
Word Count
On the whole, you could also make a case that non-fiction writing tends to be shorter than fiction. This is because you’re dealing with facts, so there’s no need to pad out the story with unnecessary descriptive passages or extra dialogue.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but in general, you’ll find that non-fiction writing is more concise than fiction. In a fictitious story, the author could spend five pages talking about a dream. In non-fiction writing, there’s little room for conjecture.
Tone and Voice
Lastly, the tone of your writing will also be different depending on whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction. When you’re writing fiction, you have a lot of latitude in terms of the voice you use. You can be formal or informal, write in first person or third person point of view, and so on.
With non-fiction writing, the tone is generally more formal. This isn’t always the case – there are some non-fiction genres, like memoirs, that use a more personal voice – but in general, you’ll want to stick to an informed, formal voice.
