Detailed Nonfiction Writing Steps

The FODP writing rubric can be used with any genre of writing, even nonfiction. Argument writing, though, has additional steps that you need to make sure to include in your writing organization,in addition to the FODP. These steps are in the order that they should appear in your writing. Thenonfiction/argument writing steps are:

  1. Introduction (opening): Once you’ve identified a topic to focus your writing on, you must introduce it. You do this by defining it, explaining it, or describing it from your understanding of the topic.
  1. Topic sentences (thesis statement):Also, in this introductory paragraph make sure you include your opinion on your chosen topic. You do this in a statement, not a question -- just one sentence. No matter the topic, you will always have an opinion about it, even if you don’t know much about the topic. You can be in favor of the topic;you can be against it, or you can even be neutral in your opinion on the topic.
  1. Reasons: In your next paragraph, you need to make sure that you develop this paragraph(s) out nicely by including several sentences about your topic, not just two or three sentences. Make sure that you include several reasons why this is your opinion on the topic. To have a strong argument, you should include more than 1-2 reasons but rather 3-4 reasons, at least. What are your experiences with this topic? What experiences have you heard from other people that you know on this topic?What experiences have you heard on the radioor seen online, or from TV or from movies or books, etc. on this topic?Write about them all in this paragraph.
  1. Development: In another paragraph make sure you also include several sentences or paragraphs of research that develop the topic out even more beyond what you already know about it. What information can you give on the topic that is interesting. The point here is to give your writing some depth. It’s easy to create writing that is superficial. That doesn’t need to be practiced. What we are trying to achieve with the independent writing practices is to sharpen your writing skills by giving your writing more sophistication. Do thisby adding depth, complexity, and varying points of view to your nonfiction writing. So, talk about the reasons some people might have who would disagree with your opinion on your topic. Why would they still be wrong and you right?
  1. Conclusion: Your last paragraph must include your topic sentence (thesis statement). It should have the same opinion as stated in your introduction. Also, include in your conclusion the key fact that stands out as the most important reason why this is your opinion on the topic. This last paragraph can be short; a few sentences long is adequate. It is not required to be as well developed as your previous paragraphs.

Additional steps that you can practice to further improve your nonfiction writing can also include the use of transitions between paragraphs, the use of a hook in the opening or the introductory paragraph, and the avoidance of logical fallacies and other illogical forms of argumentation that degrade the strength and believability of nonfiction and argument writing.

You receive a point for each of the five steps to nonfiction writing that is represented in your writing practice. If you did not receive full credit for your writing practice, it’s because it is missing one or more of these five writing steps. Likewise, if you do an incredible job ensuring that all five steps are represented in your writing, the teacher awards you with extra credit for your efforts.

If you would like to keep your writing practices, keep them in a writing journal or in your learning log. Turn in the notebook every day so that the teacher can update your grade. You will have the notebook returned to you the next day to continue your writing practices. Individual sheets of paper are usually not handed back unless requested since most students do not wish to have their writing practices returned to them each day.

Feedback is important to the success of your writing practices so that you will know what you’ve done well and what you need to practice more. This is done upon request or when the teacher sees that feedback would be helpful, but it is not given every day or automatically. Feedback is given only as needed or as requested.

There are three types of writing prompts usually given for students to write about, but these are just ideas. You can practice any genre of writing that you want to practice, and it can be on any topic that interests you. The prompts are generally appreciated by students to help give them writing ideas. The three kinds of writing prompts are 1) object prompts, 2) picture prompts, and 3) video prompts.

Object prompts are great for description writing practice where you practice describing an object. Picture promptsare great for short story writing practice. You should practice any one or all of the seven narrative elements. Video prompts are great for nonfiction writing since lots of facts on the topic are readily provided. Keep notes on the video to use later in your writing so that you have lots of information to use without having to try to remember it all accurately.

If you choose to practice writing poetry, make sure you are practicing the elements of poetry, such as meter, rhyme, or some of the many poetic tropes, such as figurative language. If you choose to practice writing song lyrics, make sure you practice the elements of a song lyric, such as rhythm, rhyming, and refrains.

If you choose to practice writing short stories, make sure you practice one or more of the elements of a narrative. To have a complete short story, all of these elements should be represented. These are 1.character description (main characters, such as the protagonist and antagonist), 2.Setting description (place: city, state, country, planet, etc. and time: past, present, future), 3.Problem (Creates suspense and action), 4.Action (steps the protagonist takes to solve the main problem and steps the antagonist takes to stop the protagonist from solving the problem), 5.Dialogue (conversations among the characters), 6.Climax (How the protagonist finally solves the problem), 7.Denouement (resolution or how the story ends).