Keys to Writing First Person Non-Fiction

Many writers of how-to books would warn you not to write in first person. Writing solely

in first person for articles is a mistake; but writing them frequently is not. People want to hear of true life experiences; how things apply to their career choices or lives; and want prose that is easy to read. Nowhere is it easier to write these than in the first person article or book. Some writers make a career out of this. This article will detail strategies in writing the first person article, essay, and book. It will be done not on the basis that first person articles are superior, but that they should be respected.

We want to write about our battles with depression. We consider the article. How can we write this without the dreaded "I" word? We should not fear bringing ourselves into the article on occasion. Sometimes the best story is our own. As long as we do not write "I" five times in the same paragraph we should be okay. The article might need proof that something works. If we were depressed and found a cure with medication and therapy, bringing ourselves into the article is crucial because that is the proof. If we want to write a creative essay about the absence of trees in major cities, we can chronicle our walks through parking lots that are all blacktop.

Some magazines love the personal non-fiction article. That is why they keep selling; readers want them and so do editors. And example would be "The Sun." In a creative centered issue, almost every article brought a personal experience in. One article was a chronicle of a writer winning an award. One on how a person can avoid certain things in life but not writing. And another an interview that contained the word "I" from both the interview and the person being interviewed. But, it will depend on the magazine because not all of them love the personal experience story like "The Sun."

If we are interested in writing a first person book consider reading over some examples. Julia Cameron is likely the queen of creativity; she has written herself into almost every book she writes. "I am sitting looking over a valley in Taos, New Mexico" is a typical opening to any of her essays or chapters. Julia Cameron is a bestselling author who works herself into almost everything she writes. Study Cameron for the first person essay and book.

First person articles may not be superior, but they sell just as much as the normal first person article. The first person book may seem a tough sell, but Cameron proved it can be done. The essays we were taught to write in the third person in high school may be less popular than the first person essay we write on depression. Avoid having too many "I" or "me" words in your piece, but do not think a first person story will not sell.