the hangout for new and inexperienced writers of nonfiction
At Beginners Guide to Writing we specialise in helping new and inexperienced writers get started writing in a range of nonfiction genres. We provide one-to-one and group support, an online writing community where you can exchange ideas through our writing forums, a variety of writing, editing and proofreading services and a selection of books, courses and regular blog posts.
Would you like to write for niche magazines? If you are researching your family history or recalling memories of the past or if you are a local/social history researcher you probably read and/or subscribe to one or more…
Opening sentence - use it to grab the attention of your readers Arguably the most important words in a book are all contained in the opening sentence. But do you know why? Although the title of your book or narrative…
Start writing your family history while you are researching Most family historians are compulsive researchers which is what makes them the authority on their family’s past but when do you stop researching and start writing.…
Writing a foodoir - what is it and could you write one? Are you a keen baker or chef or do you just enjoy food? Do you have some stories to tell about your culinary experiences? Are you a budding writer? Then why not…
Never use a long word where a short one will do A mistake some new or less experienced writers make is to believe that if they want to appear clever they should avoid short words and use long, pretentious words or phrases…
Titles - tips on how to write an attention-grabbing title Good titles are the best way of grabbing the attention of your audience. Have you ever been drawn to a book in a bookshop, an article in a magazine or a blog on…
Creative nonfiction - a brief introduction From autobiography, memoir, personal essays, family history and local history to travel writing, business writing, self-help, food writing, health and fitness, these all come…
Write a blog post that tells a story by following these simple tips It doesn't matter whether you are blogging your way to an entire family history, or the complete story of your life story, or any other non-fiction genre,…
Editing and proofreading - do it yourself with these free online tools In addition to the variety of resources freely available online to help you get to grips with English grammar (see my blog Online English grammar…
Life story gumption trap If you have you been thinking about writing your life story but have been put off because the whole process seems just too daunting then read on. Like many other people you probably think that…
Writing for the nostalgia market - in print and online If you have some nostalgic memories you would like to share, then read on to find what opportunities there are in writing for the nostalgia market.
Cinquains - what are they and how do you write one? My blog on six-word memoirs is all about brevity and and so continuing with this theme let me introduce you to the world of cinquains.
Write your life story on a postcard - why not give it a go Life stories can be told in many different ways but typically they are written chronologically, starting with when and where you were born, where you went to…
Starting to write - just do it Don’t let a fear of getting something wrong put you off writing. Your grammar may not be perfect, you may make some spelling mistakes or you may put a comma in the wrong place but none of…
What are idioms and should you use them? What are idioms and should you use them in your writing? The Cambridge Dictionary definition of idioms is ‘a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that…
Free writing - give it try if you are finding it hard to start writing Even if you think you have a clear idea of what you want to write about do you sometimes find it really hard to get going? Well there is a remedy…
Putting your family history in context Although researching and writing your family history gives you the opportunity to explore and write about the lives of people you have a personal connection to, there will also be…
Scrapbook journaling is an important part of a scrapbook page Good scrapbooks tell a story through pictures, photos, memorabilia or anything else that has a special meaning or significance for the scrapbooker. Some scrapbookers…
English grammar - a selection of books for grammarphobes Because an understanding of the basics of English grammar is essential if you want to be taken seriously as a writer, here is a selection of books on English grammar…
Create an outline before you start writing If you are a new or aspiring writer you may not even have thought about why you should create an outline before you start writing. So, let me explain the purpose of an outline…
Have you always wanted to write about your life and experiences but lack the confidence to get started?
Have you been researching your family or local history and want to start telling the stories you have uncovered?
How about a memoir which focuses on food?
Are you a keen traveller with stories to tell?
Do you run a family or local business with an interesting history which would make a great story?
Are you an enthusiastic scrapbooker who would like to go one step further and start telling the stories behind your pictures and photos?
If you have answered yes to any of the these questions and you are a new or inexperienced writer, take a look at Beginners Guide to Writing for everything you need to get started writing.
At Beginners Guide to Writing we have a great selection of information products and courses plus regular blog posts to help you start writing in a variety of nonfiction genres from life stories, family histories, memoirs and autobiographies to local and social history, travel stories, foodoirs, scrapbook- and photo-journaling, nostalgic memories and company/corporate histories.
If you have already started writing, then check out our Writing and editing services . At Beginners Guide to Writing offer one-to-one help and support via phone, email, Skype (or in person if you live nearby). It doesn’t matter where you are in the world we can work together. We also provide editing and proofreading services and we run workshops for writers of nonfiction.
If you fancy seeing your stories in print we can advise you on the different ways you can go about this. For example, if you just want to print a few copies for family and friends you could use a print-on demand-service or you could turn your stories into an eBook which you could upload to a website or to Kindle or Amazon’s e-reader. Just let us know what you want and we will do our best to advise and help you.
Would you look to join a friendly and supportive network of writers without leaving the comfort of your own home? Then why not join in on one of our Beginners Guide to Writing forums. You can ask for help or you can share your own experiences with like-minded people.
