Hello everybody! I am new here. This is actually for a nonfiction book. I know there is a subforum for that, but it doesn't seem to get much traffic. Moderators, if you feel my thread must be moved, I totally understand. I am very serious about this and just wanted to get as much help as possible. I had a tragedy happen in my family last summer where my two brothers and a friend were victims of violence. Only one of my brothers survived. This book will be about what my family went through and and my remaining brother's journey through his recovery. It will also be a memoir about my deceased brother, as he was an amazing person who changed lives and was also the best brother a person could ask for. I wanted to put fun memories of my late brother in the book and give a little information of who he was as a person. I also wanted to put the tale of what happened the night it happened and all the emotions involved. Also, I want to portray what it was like to see my brother in the ICU and his unbelievable progress he has made and is still making. My own personal feelings about my inner conflict with spirituality would be in it as well. This has made me a changed person. I wanted to include how a tragedy can change your outlook and perception. And lastly, I wanted this to be a message to other families that are victims of violence that they are not alone and there are others out there that have been through the same thing. I am just not sure where to start. I have been told I have a writing talent. I have taken writing courses in college and did quite well, but I do not have a degree. I think I can wing this one myself. I just need someone experienced to give me some input and direction. I appreciate any help I may get. Thank you!
The nonfiction subforum is in the workshop, where you post your finished work or drafts. This is the feedback and advice section. It doesn't have genre categories as far as I can tell. So you're fine.
Welcome to the site and holy **** So the first step to outlining is to figure out whether you're the kind of writer who needs an outline (I am) or whether you're the kind of writer who doesn't. The second step is to remember that everything can be changed if it isn't working for you - not just the words you've written, but also the process that you've been using to write them. None of my completed stories look exactly like what I'd originally thought they were going to, and not all of them have been written in the same ways. Good luck.
^^^This. I suspect that you are an outliner simply because, here you are thinking of an outline. But, even with an outline, be prepared for all kinds of unexpected twist. My characters never behave exactly the way I expect them too, so I've learned to just roll with what they throw at me.
Hello DazzleKitty, I'm sorry about what has happened to you and your family. I think that writing is a good way to initiate healing, and you certainly don't need a degree to write with talent. Outlining is something I yet have to explore, but here are my thoughts. You already came up with a bit of an outline by explaining the different aspect of your tragedy. You could just write your story in a linear order or work on each of these aspects separately and join them later in the order that seems to fit. I wish you luck and courage.
Thank you all for your help. I just started writing last night. It's a start. I really don't know the rhyme or order yet. But at least I got something down on a document.
