When writing a non-fiction essay, it can be useful to apply techniques of fiction writers to flesh-out ideas and themes, so as to give bare-bones facts and figures a livelier, living character. One way to accomplish this is to ask inventive, ‘out-of-the-box’ questions of yourself (or writing group) regarding subject matter and themes to be addressed within the work.
Some results may be digressive and inapplicable, but some may take the writing in directions that were not obvious to the writer(s) at first, helping to generate illustrative and entertaining correlations of facts and ideas. The following are sample questions that could be asked about various themes and subject matters, but writers may do well to invent their own questions and ask them as they formulate an outline for an essay.
Writing a Narrative
- What other stories does this story’s narrative arc resemble?
- What would a long-deceased family member say about this story?
- How would a clairvoyant person or a trained psychologist describe these events?
Writing to Explain a Process
- Where would this process most likely be found?
- If this process was a car or truck, which make and model would it be? What does that mean to you?
- What does this process do at different points of the day, week, year?
Writing to Persuade
- If your argument were a governmental agency, which one would it be?
- What do you need to make your argument stronger?
- What professional sport does your argument most resemble?
Writing About an Issue or Event
- What school or college would this issue or event attend?
- How does this issue interact with other relevant issues?
- What technological or wireless device does this issue or event most resemble?
Writing about an Object
- How would a person without sight experience it?
- What does it look like under a microscope?
- What does its reflection in a pond or lake look like?
Writing about a Place
- What did this place look like 100 years ago? 1000 years?
- What is the most distinguishable sensory stimulus at, or in this place?
- Who is a person that you’d expect to be drawn to this place?
Writing about a Person
- What was this person’s favourite food, book, toy as a child?
- What type of place would this person choose, if they could, for retirement?
- What concert or sporting event would they pay hard-earned money to attend?
Using these questions will help you see where you can expand, say more or describe more. With that done, all you have to do is a little further analysis, if called for, to explain why you believe things are as they are per your presentation of an issue.
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