Nonfiction writing is essentially factual writing, intended primarily to provide information rather than entertainment or speculative truths. Though the details and conclusions may include a certain amount of opinion, they must be backed up by concrete date and stem from a belief that the details are factual.
Types
Nonfiction includes newspaper articles, magazine articles, autobiographies, travel essays, political essays and product reviews.
Thesis and Support
Many forms of nonfiction start by positing a thesis, then citing pieces of evidence in support of it.
Citation
Because nonfiction can be colored by conjecture and opinion, proper citation of sources is very important. A piece of nonfiction backed up by hard data becomes much more persuasive.
Objective Nonfiction
Objective nonfiction means nonfiction that presents only concrete, verifiable facts. A list of historical dates is an example of this kind of nonfiction.
Subjective Nonfiction
Subjective nonfiction is often true, but may be colored by conjecture and opinion from the author. A movie review or employee evaluation is an example of this kind of nonfiction.
