Switching From Fiction to Nonfiction with H.R. Sinclair & Bloodstone

Today I welcome H.R. Sinclair! Her new book, Blood Stone, is the first in the Lost Witch series, and releases September 22. I asked her to talk about switching between fiction and non-fiction for her visit.

Switching From Fiction to Nonfiction

I’m H. R. Sinclair, an urban fantasy author and artist living in New England. I also write nonfiction books including A Writer’s Guide to Color.

Writing both fiction and nonfiction can be rewarding. They use different superpowers. One pulls from the creative side of you, allowing you to immerse into make-believe situations, the other charges up your analytical brain. A key difference is that, in fiction, the author holds back, drops clues, dangles red herrings. In non-fiction, the author writes everything down, right there, all together.

To Shift to Non-Fiction, Leverage Your Skills

 Use your storytelling skills to make those facts more interesting. Add narratives, descriptions, and use a clear structure.

 Use your voice in non-fiction—serious, funny, informal, etc. Just be sure the voice fits. 

 Depending on the type of non-fiction you write, you can add anecdotes and analogies to clarify information.

 Be sure to adapt the formatting. Non-fiction requires well-defined organization. Elements like headings, subheadings, bullet points, and highlight boxes help readers follow along and return to find information again.

For my writer’s guide, I use a formal voice and I use numerous lists because I want writers to easily find what they are looking for. Are the writers looking for superstitions related to yellow? History? Ancient pigments? I have lists of yellow animals and plants and a color thesaurus to help writers add those to their stories.

 Non-fiction requires extensive research that should be thoroughly checked and referenced. Add citations for credibility.

 Just like fiction, know who you are writing for, narrow the field. My Writer’s Guide is for … writers.

By using your fiction-writing strengths—such as vivid imagery, interesting narrative, and a distinctive voice—in non-fiction, you can create works that are both informative and engaging.

Family secrets hold the key to buried magic. Her legacy awaits.

Katelyn Grey is a gardener in Southern California. She’s content with pruning shrubs and looking after her step-mom, the only family she has left. That is, until a lawyer shows up and tells her that her long-lost aunt died, leaving her the family home on the other side of the country.

Though Katelyn hates to travel, a weird clause in her aunt’s will forces her to visit a quaint New England seaside town. Her world changes when she discovers she’s inherited a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that someone else wants. And they’re willing to kill for it.

Now, she must learn how to use magic, find the key, and figure out what it’s for before she ends up like her long-lost aunt. Dead.

Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B0CTHQJJTF

Apple: books.apple.com/us/book/bloodstone/id6587574545

Kobo: kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bloodstone-42

B&N: barnesandnoble.com/w/bloodstone-h-r-sinclair/1146070561

Books2Read: books2read.com/lostwitch

H. R. Sinclair

author • artist • dreamer

H. R. Sinclair is a left-handed hermit prepping for the squirrel apocalypse. She was born and raised in Southern California, but now lives and works in New England. She writes fantastical stories and visits cemeteries for inspiration.

Website: iamhrsinclair.com

Socials

• iamhrsinclair.com/blog

• x.com/SouthpawPOV

• instagram.com/hrsinclair

• goodreads.com/author/show/21680467.H_R_Sinclair

• bookbub.com/profile/h-r-sinclair