The Non-Fiction Author Association, or NFAA for short, rounded up seven experts and guess what? I was one of the "experts" to impart my "expertise" on how I overcome writing challenges as a non-fiction author or writer.
You may be thinking, but wait, your books are fun, relatable children's books. And yes, that is true. But most of my books, like the career books for kids Andrew's Career Day book series, and the seasons books Winnie Loves Winter and Spencer Knows Spring, are all non-fiction books! They are fact books set in real settings and scenarios to make reading fun and engaging.
So, I am in fact a non-fiction writer and I, in fact, have writing challenges. And this is how I overcome said challenges:
TIFFANY OBENG
As a multi-published author of several nonfiction children’s books, the biggest challenge I face as an author is creating a written product that educates while engaging and entertaining young readers. So, one way that I engage young readers is by writing books in rhyme. Rhyming stories are not only fun to read, but have many benefits for young readers.
Another way I engage young readers is by providing illustrations of diverse, relatable characters in normal situations. This helps fill a gap in the industry for children’s literature in general and nonfiction children’s literature specifically. This also helps children, who are largely absent from the media, feel seen and validated, and want to read in the first place.
I also conduct thorough research on the chosen topic, which can take hours and days, depending on my level of prior knowledge on the subject. This preliminary step is necessary and pays off. Gathering and presenting correct information and information that teaches young children and their parents, engages the whole family and promotes family literacy and knowledge.
However, it is so easy to get lost in the minutiae of nonfiction or create a word soup when trying to write nonfiction that inspires, like my kid’s career books. Presenting information in a digestible manner and choosing language that is descriptive, inspirational, and motivational can be difficult when there are word and page limits involved. I have found that using a storyboard template or creating a storyboard really helps me focus my story, plot my story, and provides a visual of what needs to be accomplished and when it needs to be accomplished. Storyboards are a must for any writing project.
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Want more expert advice on how to overcome writing challenges? Read what the other experts had to say, here.
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