https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---articleen-USTelligent Community 10https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---articleFri, 22 May 2020 18:42:34 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:48e832d3-eb96-45dd-9288-5c77443403f5Molly Blaisdellhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---article#commentsCurrent Revision posted to Researching Your Idea by Molly Blaisdell on 5/22/2020 6:42:34 PM<br /> <p>As a nonfiction writer, you want to create definitive work. To cultivate this kind of work you must learn to identify weak spots. The first and most important part of writing nonfiction is the research. Reliable source material is of upmost importance. Always choose original sources first; expert interviews are much more reliable than secondary sources such as journals, databases, and books.</p> <p><span style="font-size:150%;">Finding reliable materials</span></p> <p>Online source material is de rigueur in today&rsquo;s world. But be aware that websites with .org or .edu domains are much more reliable that websites ending in .com. That said, web sources need to be backed up with extensive supporting material. Many online source databases, such as Proquest and EBSCO Host, are available for use through local libraries. Use online scholarly sources whenever possible.</p> <p>All source material needs to be properly annotated. MLA is a popular citation method. Try to back up every fact with three sources. This ensures reliability. If the three sources disagree, stick with the most reliable, but note your research discrepancies. Try to copy or scan source materials for future fact checking. Note that it&rsquo;s not necessary to include references as part of the main manuscript, but they should be part of a submission package.</p> <p><span style="font-size:150%;">Organizing your research</span></p> <p>Once solid research is complete, this information needs to be shaped into a cohesive whole. Use outlines to organize materials. In most cases, <span>nonfiction</span> books are sold through the submission of an outline and three sample chapters. Hence an outline is of great importance when creating a <span>nonfiction</span> book. It is prudent for a first-time author to go and write their <span>nonfiction</span> book first, even though they will only submit an outline.</p> <p>Finally, <span>nonfiction</span> must flow logically from idea to idea. A <span>nonfiction</span> book relies on clarity of thought. The structure must include an introduction, the body, and then a conclusion. Gumming up the language with adjective- and adverb-ridden prose is not acceptable. The writing must be invisible, making the content king. A <span>nonfiction</span> author must create an original voice. A monotonous voice is to be avoided. Loosen up. Don&rsquo;t choose difficult words to impress readers. All you will do is obfuscate the material. Write your best book with your own words. Be yourself. You learned this in kindergarten, but it&rsquo;s still good advice.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> <div style="font-size: 90%;">Tags: article, Nonfiction</div> https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---article/revision/4Fri, 22 May 2020 18:41:25 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:48e832d3-eb96-45dd-9288-5c77443403f5Molly Blaisdellhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---article#commentsRevision 4 posted to Researching Your Idea by Molly Blaisdell on 5/22/2020 6:41:25 PM<br /> <p>As a nonfiction writer, you want to create definitive work. To cultivate this kind of work you must learn to identify weak spots. The first and most important part of writing nonfiction is the research. Reliable source material is of upmost importance. Always choose original sources first; expert interviews are much more reliable than secondary sources such as journals, databases, and books.</p> <p><span style="font-size:150%;">Finding reliable materials</span></p> <p>Online source material is de rigueur in today&rsquo;s world. But be aware that websites with .org or .edu domains are much more reliable that websites ending in .com. That said, web sources need to be backed up with extensive supporting material. Never use sources such as Wikipedia or About.com. Though these sites might send you in the direction of valued source material, their standards are considered subpar by the reference community. Many online source databases, such as Proquest and EBSCO Host, are available for use through local libraries. Use online scholarly sources whenever possible.</p> <p>All source material needs to be properly annotated. MLA is a popular citation method. Try to back up every fact with three sources. This ensures reliability. If the three sources disagree, stick with the most reliable, but note your research discrepancies. Try to copy or scan source materials for future fact checking. Note that it&rsquo;s not necessary to include references as part of the main manuscript, but they should be part of a submission package.</p> <p><span style="font-size:150%;">Organizing your research</span></p> <p>Once solid research is complete, this information needs to be shaped into a cohesive whole. Use outlines to organize materials. In most cases, <span>nonfiction</span> books are sold through the submission of an outline and three sample chapters. Hence an outline is of great importance when creating a <span>nonfiction</span> book. It is prudent for a first-time author to go and write their <span>nonfiction</span> book first, even though they will only submit an outline.</p> <p>Finally, <span>nonfiction</span> must flow logically from idea to idea. A <span>nonfiction</span> book relies on clarity of thought. The structure must include an introduction, the body, and then a conclusion. Gumming up the language with adjective- and adverb-ridden prose is not acceptable. The writing must be invisible, making the content king. A <span>nonfiction</span> author must create an original voice. A monotonous voice is to be avoided. Loosen up. Don&rsquo;t choose difficult words to impress readers. All you will do is obfuscate the material. Write your best book with your own words. Be yourself. You learned this in kindergarten, but it&rsquo;s still good advice.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> <div style="font-size: 90%;">Tags: article, Nonfiction</div> https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---article/revision/3Fri, 22 May 2020 18:40:29 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:48e832d3-eb96-45dd-9288-5c77443403f5Molly Blaisdellhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---article#commentsRevision 3 posted to Researching Your Idea by Molly Blaisdell on 5/22/2020 6:40:29 PM<br /> <p>As a nonfiction writer, you want to create definitive work. To cultivate this kind of work you must learn to identify weak spots. The first and most important part of writing nonfiction is the research. Reliable source material is of upmost importance. Always choose original sources first; expert interviews are much more reliable than secondary sources such as journals, databases, and books.</p> <p>Online source material is de rigueur in today&rsquo;s world. But be aware that websites with .org or .edu domains are much more reliable that websites ending in .com. That said, web sources need to be backed up with extensive supporting material. Never use sources such as Wikipedia or About.com. Though these sites might send you in the direction of valued source material, their standards are considered subpar by the reference community. Many online source databases, such as Proquest and EBSCO Host, are available for use through local libraries. Use online scholarly sources whenever possible.</p> <p>All source material needs to be properly annotated. MLA is a popular citation method. Try to back up every fact with three sources. This ensures reliability. If the three sources disagree, stick with the most reliable, but note your research discrepancies. Try to copy or scan source materials for future fact checking. Note that it&rsquo;s not necessary to include references as part of the main manuscript, but they should be part of a submission package.</p> <p><span style="font-size:150%;">Organizing your research</span></p> <p>Once solid research is complete, this information needs to be shaped into a cohesive whole. Use outlines to organize materials. In most cases, <span>nonfiction</span> books are sold through the submission of an outline and three sample chapters. Hence an outline is of great importance when creating a <span>nonfiction</span> book. It is prudent for a first-time author to go and write their <span>nonfiction</span> book first, even though they will only submit an outline.</p> <p>Finally, <span>nonfiction</span> must flow logically from idea to idea. A <span>nonfiction</span> book relies on clarity of thought. The structure must include an introduction, the body, and then a conclusion. Gumming up the language with adjective- and adverb-ridden prose is not acceptable. The writing must be invisible, making the content king. A <span>nonfiction</span> author must create an original voice. A monotonous voice is to be avoided. Loosen up. Don&rsquo;t choose difficult words to impress readers. All you will do is obfuscate the material. Write your best book with your own words. Be yourself. You learned this in kindergarten, but it&rsquo;s still good advice.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> <div style="font-size: 90%;">Tags: article, Nonfiction</div> https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---article/revision/2Sat, 04 Mar 2017 09:36:09 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:48e832d3-eb96-45dd-9288-5c77443403f5Molly Blaisdellhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---article#commentsRevision 2 posted to Researching Your Idea by Molly Blaisdell on 3/4/2017 9:36:09 AM<br /> <p>As a nonfiction writer, you want to create definitive work. To cultivate this kind of work you must learn to identify weak spots. The first and most important part of writing nonfiction is the research. Reliable source material is of upmost importance. Always choose original sources first; expert interviews are much more reliable than secondary sources such as journals, databases, and books.</p> <p>Online source material is de rigueur in today&rsquo;s world. But be aware that websites with .org or .edu domains are much more reliable that websites ending in .com. That said, web sources need to be backed up with extensive supporting material. Never use sources such as Wikipedia or About.com. Though these sites might send you in the direction of valued source material, their standards are considered subpar by the reference community. Many online source databases, such as Proquest and EBSCO Host, are available for use through local libraries. Use online scholarly sources whenever possible.</p> <p>All source material needs to be properly annotated. MLA is a popular citation method. Try to back up every fact with three sources. This ensures reliability. If the three sources disagree, stick with the most reliable, but note your research discrepancies. Try to copy or scan source materials for future fact checking. Note that it&rsquo;s not necessary to include references as part of the main manuscript, but they should be part of a submission package.</p> <p>Once solid research is complete, this information needs to be shaped into a cohesive whole. Use outlines to organize materials. In most cases, non-fiction books are sold through the submission of an outline and three sample chapters. Hence an outline is of great importance when creating a non-fiction book. It is prudent for a first-time author to go and write their non-fiction book first, even though they will only submit an outline.</p> <p>Finally, non-fiction must flow logically from idea to idea. A non-fiction book relies on clarity of thought. The structure must include an introduction, the body, and then a conclusion. Gumming up the language with adjective- and adverb-ridden prose is not acceptable. The writing must be invisible, making the content king. A non-fiction author must create an original voice. A monotonous voice is to be avoided. Loosen up. Don&rsquo;t choose difficult words to impress readers. All you will do is obfuscate the material. Write your best book with your own words. Be yourself. You learned this in kindergarten, but it&rsquo;s still good advice.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> <div style="font-size: 90%;">Tags: article, Nonfiction</div> https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---article/revision/1Wed, 14 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT809ccca5-04d2-44bf-8f5c-ff0a6d33c80b:48e832d3-eb96-45dd-9288-5c77443403f5Molly Blaisdellhttps://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/i-have-an-idea/w/researching-your-idea/2892/getting-started-with-nonfiction-research-and-organization---article#commentsRevision 1 posted to Researching Your Idea by Molly Blaisdell on 12/14/2016 12:00:00 AM<br /> <p>As a non-fiction writer, you want to create definitive work. To cultivate this kind of work you must learn to identify weak spots. The first and most important part of writing non-fiction is the research. Reliable source material is of upmost importance. Always choose original sources first; expert interviews are much more reliable than secondary sources such as journals, databases, and books. </p> <p>Online source material is de rigueur in today’s world. But be aware that websites with .org or .edu domains are much more reliable that websites ending in .com. That said, web sources need to be backed up with extensive supporting material. Never use sources such as Wikipedia or About.com. Though these sites might send you in the direction of valued source material, their standards are considered subpar by the reference community. Many online source databases, such as Proquest and EBSCO Host, are available for use through local libraries. Use online scholarly sources whenever possible. </p> <p>All source material needs to be properly annotated. MLA is a popular citation method. Try to back up every fact with three sources. This ensures reliability. If the three sources disagree, stick with the most reliable, but note your research discrepancies. Try to copy or scan source materials for future fact checking. Note that it’s not necessary to include references as part of the main manuscript, but they should be part of a submission package. </p> <p>Once solid research is complete, this information needs to be shaped into a cohesive whole. Use outlines to organize materials. In most cases, non-fiction books are sold through the submission of an outline and three sample chapters. Hence an outline is of great importance when creating a non-fiction book. It is prudent for a first-time author to go and write their non-fiction book first, even though they will only submit an outline.</p> <p>Finally, non-fiction must flow logically from idea to idea. A non-fiction book relies on clarity of thought. The structure must include an introduction, the body, and then a conclusion. Gumming up the language with adjective- and adverb-ridden prose is not acceptable. The writing must be invisible, making the content king. A non-fiction author must create an original voice. A monotonous voice is to be avoided. Loosen up. Don’t choose difficult words to impress readers. All you will do is obfuscate the material. Write your best book with your own words. Be yourself. You learned this in kindergarten, but it’s still good advice.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> <div style="font-size: 90%;">Tags: article, Nonfiction</div>