How to Keep Readers Interested in a Nonfiction Story
The authors of a nonfiction story must format and arrange it correctly to keep the reader’s attention. This is typically more difficult to achieve when writing nonfiction, compared to writing fiction. Successful nonfiction authors set a scene in each chapter and frequently end many chapters with a “cliff-hanger”; a piece of information that encourages the reader to begin the next chapter. There is no reason why non fiction works cannot hook the reader’s interest to the point that they do not want to put the book down.
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Instructions
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Write in such a way that the reader relates to the personalities in a nonfiction story. Regardless of how interesting these real life people may be, you will not hold the reader’s attention unless you know how to bring the characters to life.
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Describe details of the characters’ personalities and emphasize their beliefs and value systems. Use details of the decisions and actions the character makes and takes, so readers begin to care about the person. Great authors give life to the real life personalities they write about.
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Create suspense and foreshadowing in each chapter. Both are as important in a nonfictional work, as they are in fictional writing. Although nonfiction writing must report the facts as they occurred, the best nonfiction writing presents the information in such a way, that the reader’s attention stays in the story all the time. By bringing elements of suspense and foreshadowing into your writing, you can capture the readers’ attention.
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Use the element of surprise to keep the reader's attention. Tell the readers something they did not expect to hear. You need to surprise your readers and once you have their attention, you need to keep it.
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Use the “knowledge gap” principle. Readers become curious when they realize they have a gap in their knowledge. Regardless of how dry the information is, find a way to keep the reader interested in turning the page.
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Run a spelling and grammar checker through your work. Readers are quick to pick up poor grammar and this often ruins the reading experience for them.
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