# Non-Fiction Writers



## GoldenJackal (May 29, 2010)

I am a writer by practice, but I write nothing but non-fiction material. I cannot tell a story to save my life. I also do not have the ability to draw. So even though the fandom takes up a considerable chunk of my life, I do not actively contribute to it artistically. 

I may write a non-fiction piece on the fandom someday, but honestly I've only been a fan for 2 years, and an official furry for less than that. I also do not think that I have the right audience to really speak up about the fandom.  

Anyone else a non-fiction writer? Has anyone submitted something to FA that's not fictitious? I'm curious to see if it's possible without being a newspaper reporter writing an article on the ins and outs of the fandom.


----------



## Hauke (May 29, 2010)

I've thought about writing a textbook, but I can't see myself uploading parts of it to FA unless someone wanted to help proofread it--but even then, there are other sites I'd use before this one.

As far as having the right audience, I'm not sure what you mean.  If you uploaded it, do you mean that the "wrong" people would read it?

And I think you have an excellent story right now:  you became a fan, and then became an "official" furry.  How'd that happen?  Was there a pivotal moment?  You wouldn't have to be a newspaper reporter, but you could report nonetheless on how this transformation in your life occurred.  I see stuff like that in magazines all the time (I became a Vegan...I learned to hate my iPod...I learned to deal with my kid's mental illness...etc.).


----------



## sunandshadow (May 29, 2010)

I write non-fiction about fiction theory and game design occasionally.  Haven't posted any of it to FA because it's totally irrelevant.  But I'd like to publish a "theory of fiction" book some time.


----------



## quoting_mungo (May 29, 2010)

Literary theory and narrative form are really interesting subjects. I'm currently finishing up my bachelor's level essay (English Lit), which is sort of fandom-relevant, so I might post that up on the forum I administrate after I get green light to do so by the university. 

It would be interesting to write more nonfiction, but I'm afraid I like making things up too much. I did start working on a piece of faux-nonfiction which I rather enjoyed doing, a while back. Should pick that up again some time.


----------



## sunandshadow (May 29, 2010)

quoting_mungo said:


> Literary theory and narrative form are really interesting subjects. I'm currently finishing up my bachelor's level essay (English Lit), which is sort of fandom-relevant, so I might post that up on the forum I administrate after I get green light to do so by the university.
> 
> It would be interesting to write more nonfiction, but I'm afraid I like making things up too much. I did start working on a piece of faux-nonfiction which I rather enjoyed doing, a while back. Should pick that up again some time.


:grin:  What parts of literary theory are you interested in?  I'm sort of a structuralist myself - follower of Claude Levi Strauss and that sort of thing.  I also like the vector theory of plot  I also like to look at plot formulas and act structures invented by different people, everything from historical ones like Scribe's Well Made Play, myth-based ones like The Writer's Journey and Stealing Fire From the Gods, schedule/worksheet systems like the Marshal Plan and Breakout Novel series, to the most complex one, Dramatica.


----------



## carlodalid1 (May 29, 2010)

I make my living writing non-fiction stories. I don't want to though, I have spent years "studying" different forms of storytelling and I'm hoping to make a living that way one day. Its a tough market out there though, not as easy as it seems to make money from fiction. It has only few people that show interest and I don't even expect all of them to buy my stories. Still, I continue my passion n writing and would still be doing more in the future.


----------



## quoting_mungo (May 30, 2010)

sunandshadow said:


> :grin: What parts of literary theory are you interested in? I'm sort of a structuralist myself - follower of Claude Levi Strauss and that sort of thing. I also like the vector theory of plot I also like to look at plot formulas and act structures invented by different people, everything from historical ones like Scribe's Well Made Play, myth-based ones like The Writer's Journey and Stealing Fire From the Gods, schedule/worksheet systems like the Marshal Plan and Breakout Novel series, to the most complex one, Dramatica.


 
My essay supervisor tried to get me to read LÃ©vi-Strauss. I meant to, really I did, but I ended up not having the time. I can't recall what theories we went over (Suzanne Keen's _Narrative Form_ tends to go over every theory there is that touches on her current subject), but I know when we discussed them I found most of it very enjoyable and stimulating. Even if I have shit memory for it; our final included analyzing _Jane Eyre_ according to the theories of that Russian fairy tale bloke, and I completely botched that particular question. Admittedly most of it may be spilled over from my love of deep literary discussions/analysis. Honestly I'm a bit sad I'm out of English Lit classes at my local university now. Few things beat sitting there and turning over aspects of a narrative.


----------



## GoldenJackal (May 30, 2010)

Hauke said:


> I've thought about writing a textbook, but I can't see myself uploading parts of it to FA unless someone wanted to help proofread it--but even then, there are other sites I'd use before this one.
> 
> As far as having the right audience, I'm not sure what you mean.  If you uploaded it, do you mean that the "wrong" people would read it?
> 
> And I think you have an excellent story right now:  you became a fan, and then became an "official" furry.  How'd that happen?  Was there a pivotal moment?  You wouldn't have to be a newspaper reporter, but you could report nonetheless on how this transformation in your life occurred.  I see stuff like that in magazines all the time (I became a Vegan...I learned to hate my iPod...I learned to deal with my kid's mental illness..ng .etc.).



Yes. I believe that the wrong people would read it if I uploaded it to my usual spots. I write for a tech blog and I've recently started a pagan oriented project. It's not really the place for that, but you're right in that I could draw inspiration from my experiences alone. I was thinking about writing something about the community as a whole, but I can't even pretend to understand most of it at this point. I just recently attended my first furry convention.


----------



## sunandshadow (May 30, 2010)

quoting_mungo said:


> My essay supervisor tried to get me to read LÃ©vi-Strauss. I meant to, really I did, but I ended up not having the time. I can't recall what theories we went over (Suzanne Keen's _Narrative Form_ tends to go over every theory there is that touches on her current subject), but I know when we discussed them I found most of it very enjoyable and stimulating. Even if I have shit memory for it; our final included analyzing _Jane Eyre_ according to the theories of that Russian fairy tale bloke, and I completely botched that particular question. Admittedly most of it may be spilled over from my love of deep literary discussions/analysis. Honestly I'm a bit sad I'm out of English Lit classes at my local university now. Few things beat sitting there and turning over aspects of a narrative.


The Russian guy is Propp I assume?  I think his nice clear list of plot points in the typical hero myth is what first made me really grasp the idea of structuralism.  It's a lot more reader-friendly than Levi-Strauss.  But I'll go with your supervisor in advising you to read Levi-Strauss some time, mainly his Mythologiques.  I think it's worth reading for anyone who has an interest in myth analysis.  The books mainly draw on South American myth (but he eventually works his way north through various Native American cultures), which I found valuable because I haven't read other major studies of that myth tradition, aside from some coyote and raven stories.

Levi-Strauss does two interesting things: shows the same symbol or concept in an assortment of myths, and shows how a myth often mutates in a specific way between neighboring cultures.  I thought it was really cool to to see the 'sideways evolution' of a myth as he moved from one tribe's version, to a neighboring version, to a farther away version, etc.  Comparing versions also showed how one symbol was substituted for another which wasn't present in that location or culture, demonstrating the two symbols to have basically the same meaning.  Once you identify a group of synonymous symbols (especially if you want to add in ones from more familiar cultural traditions) then you've described a meta-symbol, and you can theorize about why this concept had consistently been interesting to different groups of people in different times and places.


----------



## GoldenJackal (May 30, 2010)

sunandshadow, now that's starting to sound interesting. I've been aware of the power of symbols for some time. What do yellow arches remind you of? Brand logos are much like sigils. There's a lot of meaning and intent to attract put behind them.


----------



## Thou Dog (Jun 1, 2010)

I have some nonfiction experience, but it does tend to be humorous or sarcastic in tone - not counting the large number of academic papers I had to write in my undergrad schooling.

Nonfiction generally takes me longer to do, because I always want to make sure of my facts, right? I can just bullshit any fictional story I want, because I am making it up as I go along.

Anyway... the last nonfiction thing I wrote was a one-page blurb and request for advice on a first-degree relative with apparently untreated schizophrenia who believes the FBI is torturing him with remote-control electrodes that were implanted in his body when he was born.

Nonfiction that I write tends not to be happy, eh? Not counting academic papers, like I already said.


----------



## sunandshadow (Jun 2, 2010)

GoldenJackal said:


> sunandshadow, now that's starting to sound interesting. I've been aware of the power of symbols for some time. What do yellow arches remind you of? Brand logos are much like sigils. There's a lot of meaning and intent to attract put behind them.


Yeah, symbols are interesting.  The part that most interests me is the instinctive shape recognition and reaction to colors that people have.  Visually, humans are very attuned to faces, waist/hip ratio, butts and breasts (there's your golden arches lol, and also the origin of the heart shape), and ripe fruit.  Also in a more negative way we are attuned to snake-like shapes and spider-like shapes.

Beyond that, I think conceptual symbols which appear across several cultures give us strong hints at how human thought works.  If humans in every place and time find the same topic worth telling stories about or making art about, that topic can probably give us insight into human nature.


----------



## GoldenJackal (Jun 4, 2010)

Thou Dog said:


> I have some nonfiction experience, but it does tend to be humorous or sarcastic in tone - not counting the large number of academic papers I had to write in my undergrad schooling.
> 
> Nonfiction generally takes me longer to do, because I always want to make sure of my facts, right? I can just bullshit any fictional story I want, because I am making it up as I go along.
> 
> ...



I'm always busy hammering out those academic papers. It leaves less time than I would like to work on other projects. v_v Does it get better once you're a Bachelor? I'll be graduating from my Associates program in August.


----------



## Thou Dog (Jun 10, 2010)

Your academic paper-load really depends on what you're doing in grad school. I couldn't tell you any more.


----------

