Non-fiction: A Slippery Skill

Many feel that non-fiction is a category reserved for those amongst us who've experienced singular happenings. For the massive successes and the heartbreaking losses. How else, we question, would the story sell? Why would anyone read a non-fiction piece about the average Joe when they could read about a a famous scientist or an infamous criminal?
That's where you, the author, comes in. You alone choose precisely how you wish to write that story; as a result, you get to make it as interesting or as dour as you like. Of course, while that's true and you do indeed have the power to play God when it comes to your story, perhaps the following tips might help you be a more benevolent God.

1) Decide the tone of the story
Non-fiction can often be a very dry read and while some might find that interesting, an overwhelming number of people can't stomach it. Consequently, it is crucial to decide your audience and alter the tone accordingly before you start writing your non-fiction piece.
There's a slightly skewed perspective as to the people who enjoy reading non-fiction. It seems that most believe that these are the same people who willingly dabble in biographies and books detailing niche history. However, this is but a very small part of the potential demographic. Non-fiction is something that people may universally identify with and everyone loves being reflected in what they're reading. It simply depends on how you write it, and the type of reader you have in mind while writing it.
Since it's non-fiction, it's reasonable to expect a heavy reliance on fact as opposed to the whimsy that fiction affords. But these facts can be interspersed with the author's own musings (provided that we don't amble too far from the topic at hand). Another way to write it would be to present said fact in a non-chronological order. Or to deal in half-truths, revealing the latter part at a later point in the story. Get creative. Tailor it to your intended audience. Avoid simple regurgitation of facts to keep the reader interested. DEcide how you want to write what you want to write.

2) Present non-fiction as fiction
Another handy way to slip your readers some truth is by sandwiching it between what is clearly fiction. For example, if you're writing about horses, you can mention something that happened to your horse, how it made you feels and what transpired after.
Of course, that's a simplistic example to give you the general gist of what we're trying to do here. As mentioned in the previous guide, taking notes and writing down stuff, from real life, that you feel is important is a very handy way to prepare resources for future stories. Except while writing non-fiction you have the added responsibility to remain true to the actual sequence of events. For while we can certainly present non-fiction as fiction in order to combat the prevalent prejudice against non-fiction, we can't really do it the other way around and present fiction as non-fiction. For obvious reasons.
You know how you sometimes can't help overhearing conversations, not because you're trying to eavesdrop, simply since the speakers are incredibly loud? Those are fair game; you can milk stranger's conversations, even their personalities while writing if it helps supplement your piece. As long as you don't mar them with anything greater than your own perspective, it's still non-fiction.
However, if you somehow reason through one incongruous conversation that the man behind you on the bus is a notorious bank robber, then we may be crossing the line into fiction so do be careful.

3) Sequence information in a compelling way
The widespread belief seems to be that non-fiction is mostly "...and then this happened after which that happened and then..." repeated umpteen times with little to no variation. As a result, those wetting their toes in the non-fiction territory for the first time fall prey to this school of thought. Needless to say,non-fiction is so much more.
So you have the meat of the story and you know how you want to write it. Question is, how do you present the facts? Do you list them off one after the other and hope that the reader possesses the willpower to forge through? Or do you get creative in order to ensure that the story hooks the reader in a way that it leaves the reader with no choice but to read it in its entirety?
Obviously the latter scenario is far better than relying on the chance of an unusually persistent reader. Fortunately, this choice affords you with an extraordinary measure of control. It's up to you how you structure the story such that each sentence traps the reader in afresh. As such, it is something you can work on before the readers arrive on the scene and hence, can ensure instead of relying on dumb luck.
There's a multitude of ways you could go about it. You could narrate the entire story from the view of an offbeat narrator, perhaps an inanimate object. You could use multiple narrators. Or draw parallels between your story and some famous historical event. Really, non-fiction requires creativity in kilos so put your thinking caps on and get to it.

That's all for today, folks. These tips should get you started on your non-fiction journey hopefully better off than you would have been without them. Or if you've been dabbling in non-fiction for a while now, perhaps this might help you iron out a few wrinkles. Of course, when it comes to creative writing, there is no one "right" way to go about it so don't feel anxious if your story doesn't incorporate these tips. If you feel satisfied with your piece, that's all that matters. Keep writing what you feel good about and you're sure to improve!