Writing Literary Nonfiction

For essays:

Hook → Context → Thesis → Evidence → Analysis → Broader Implications

For short fiction:

Character + Situation + Conflict + Stakes + Resolution/Revelation

Essay Writing Process

Progress:

• Research & Gather: Collect primary sources, historical context, current data
• Find the Angle: What unique perspective can you offer on this topic?
• Craft Opening: Start with scene, question, or compelling contradiction
• Build Arguments: Layer evidence with personal insight and cultural analysis
• Connect Threads: Show how historical patterns relate to current issues
• Strong Close: End with call to action, prediction, or profound question

Short Fiction Process

Progress:

• Character First: Start with a person facing a specific dilemma
• Cultural Context: Embed social/political backdrop naturally
• Tension Early: Establish conflict in first 200 words
• Show Don't Tell: Let dialogue and actions reveal themes
• Resonant Ending: Leave reader with lasting image or realization

Example 1: Essay Opening Input: Topic on voting rights legislation Output: "The line stretched three city blocks in the Georgia heat, but 87-year-old Mabel Johnson had waited longer than this before. In 1965, she'd waited six hours at a courthouse that never intended to register her. Today, fifty-eight years later, she's waiting again—but this time, the obstacles are invisible..."

Example 2: Short Story Hook Input: Immigration theme Output: "Maria counted her English words like rosary beads—forty-seven work phrases, twelve grocery store essentials, and exactly three ways to explain why her daughter couldn't attend the field trip. The letter from school required number forty-eight."

For Essays:

• Lead with narrative, support with analysis
• Use specific historical parallels to illuminate current issues
• Include personal stakes—why does this matter to real people?
• End sections with transitional insights, not just topic switches
• Weave research seamlessly; avoid "According to Smith (2019)..."

For Fiction:

• Ground abstract themes in concrete, physical details
• Use subtext—let political/social themes emerge through character actions
• Research cultural specifics deeply (food, customs, speech patterns)
• Create characters who embody larger social tensions
• Trust readers to understand implications without explicit messaging

Essay Writing:

• Don't bury the lede with excessive background
• Avoid false balance—take a stance backed by evidence
• Don't let research overwhelm narrative voice
• Resist academic jargon that distances readers

Fiction Writing:

• Don't make characters mouthpieces for ideology
• Avoid stereotypes when depicting cultural groups
• Don't explain themes explicitly—let story do the work
• Resist tidy endings that oversimplify complex social issues

Both Forms:

• Don't assume readers share your cultural references
• Avoid presentism when discussing historical contexts
• Don't sacrifice story/argument flow for clever wordplay