The writer's practice: building confidence in your nonfiction writing

Getting started

Before we begin

Writing experiences

Questions about this book

Who are you? (as a writer)

How do I . . . ? (instructions)

The writing process

Should I . . . ? (review)

Reading like a writer

Who are they? (profiling)

Making inferences from observations

Where did you go? (sense memory)

Bringing the world to the page

You did what? (adventure report)

Is it true? Did it really happen? (experience vs. memory)

What's the right thing to do? (ethical dilemma)

Titles

If it isn't true, why do people believe it? (conspiracy theory analysis)

Who are we? (rhetorical analysis of a commercial)

Writing is thinking

What's so funny? (rhetorical analysis of a work of humor)

What's going to happen? (playing the pundit)

Why proofreading is so difficult

What if . . . ? (alternate history)

Procrastination

How's it all going to end? (judging the apocalypse)

What do they mean? (argument summary and response)

Huh? Say what? (research translation)

The perils of "objectivity"

Why should I trust this? (understanding sources)

Hey, whaddaya know? (trivia questions and annotated bibliography)

Is a hot dog a sandwich? (impossible argument)

Using sources

You've got to do this! (passion argument)

Why am I so angry and what can I do about it? (problem/solution argument)

Version 1: school edition

Version 2: life edition

Failure

What do you want to say? (finding your own argument)

May I . . . ? (proposal)

Make me laugh (jokes)

Collaboration

Are you trying to make me angry? (conflict letter)

How can I help you help me? (solution letter)

If I knew then what i know now (advice to your former self)

Feedback

What should I do? (advice to someone else)

No, seriously, make me laugh (short imagined monologue)

Who is this stranger? (profile)

Who is this special person? (tribute)

The right word vs. the almost right word (thinking about sentences)

Who are you now? (as a writer).