Believe it or not, the single most important tip for writing with power and authority is also the most overlooked one.

We’re being bludgeoned with social posts about avoiding the passive voice, long sentences, and jargon—which is, most of the time, great advice. But I can’t remember anyone pressing the importance of knowing what you want to say.

As an editor, I know that many writers start typing without a well-developed idea. And I believe there are few things more lethal to a writer’s authority and credibility than mindlessly hanging out their mental laundry.

In this blog, we’ll discuss some strategies for finding your slant.

Writing Your Nonfiction without a Plan

Readers want a guide. They want to be taken on a journey of discovery and need a guide who exudes authority—they want to trust him. But would you trust a guide who shrugs when you ask him whether the snake you almost stepped on was poisonous? Or when he suddenly stops, looks around, and asks, “How did we end up here?”

Your reader may get similar trust issues when your book haphazardly swings from one topic to the next, and you don’t seem to possess a map to your conclusion. You venture onto rabbit trails irrelevant to your argument, insert information where it obstructs the flow of logic, and blow sections out of proportion.

Your readers can tell you’re lost and lose faith in you as their guide. You’re losing your credibility.

Writing Your Nonfiction with a Plan

If you write with a plan, you know where you are going. And that creates an entirely different reading experience.

You’re like the guide who stops the group, points ahead, and whispers, “Look, there on the ground sits a jumping pit viper. Let’s make a wide circle around it.” The travelers feel safe, trusting their guide will keep them out of harm’s way. At any given moment, he can tell them where they are, what places to avoid, and most importantly, when they’ll be back at the hotel for dinner.

Readers will trust you when they see you’re deliberate. They’ll see you’re setting things up for later, and throughout the story, you’re leaving breadcrumb trails to your conclusion. Your reader will feel you know what you’re doing. You’ll get them where they want to be.

You are the guide they’ve been looking for.

Using a Thesis, Slant, or Theme Statement in Your Nonfiction

To be a good guide, you need a sharp focus.

The best way to hone your message is by summarizing it in one sentence or short paragraph. You can do this by composing a slant, a theme statement, or a thesis. These three are similar but not the same.

• A slant is one sentence that simply summarizes the main thing your story is about.
• A theme statement goes deeper, encompassing causality and meaning.
• A thesis is more complicated, like a research question and its answer combined.

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The purpose of all three is to make sure that you, as a writer, know exactly where you are going. You can decide for every statement whether it is relevant within the context of your book.

A book about going on safari might have the following thesis:

“Thorough knowledge of poisonous snakes is crucial when going on safari—knowing what snakes are dangerous, how to avoid them, and what to do after a bite can save lives.”

Finding That Nugget of Wisdom in Your Nonfiction

Collected under the slant, theme statement, or thesis, there are usually various related ideas cascading through your story—insights into human nature, bits of philosophy, and nuggets of wisdom.

A reader feels in good hands when you play these ideas creatively—when they come back at strategic points throughout your story. In The Choice, Edith Eger does this continually, and that’s why this book is praised as breathtakingly well written.

For example, she dances at home, before she and her family are taken to Auschwitz; in Auschwitz, she saves her life by dancing for Dr. Mengele; later, she dances before a group of survivors to rediscover her identity; yet later, she dances for her fiancée, Bèla. When she finally stands naked before him and doesn’t dance, this contrast creates tension and drama. The way he looks at her body is a healing experience for her soul. Her dancing—and her thoughts while doing so—become a theme about healing that resonates stronger with each cycle.

To weave themes through your narrative, you need a decisive strategy of what to convey, and when and how—otherwise, your story will become a swamp. I recommend spending time thinking about your themes and creating a detailed outline of your narrative. If you do this well, the readers will trust that you have the authority as a writer to guide them through this story. You’ll teach them something valuable.

Discovering Your POV: What Makes Your Story Yours

To draft a thesis or theme statement, you need a strong opinion about your subject. You must show you have something to say. Sit down with a coffee or a glass of wine, and give your thoughts free rein.

Ask yourself, “What do I think about this? How do I feel about it? Why? And how is this different from what others are saying?”

This helps you discover what to highlight. And if you highlight these things in exactly the right places, your reader will pick up your deliberateness and feel you are in control—they’re safe in your skilled hands.

Freewriting instead of Drafting

Some people think best when writing. They discover their thoughts as inspiration flows onto the page. This is great, but not while drafting your book.

First take time to freewrite. Open a fresh document and aimlessly type whatever pops to mind—without thinking about spelling, grammar, or even logic. You can write quickly and see your ideas take shape.

If you end up freewriting some Pulitzer Prize material, nothing keeps you from copying that into your draft. The point is this: by doing the “thinking on paper” in another document, you won’t be littering your draft with brain junk.

Cleaning up junk in your draft is daunting and demotivating. By freewriting, you can prevent that task from landing on your to-do list.

You Are a Guide: Be Trustworthy

Unless you’re writing for your own pleasure, you must build a relationship of trust with your reader, and that only happens when you prove yourself an expert in your field. The deeper your knowledge, the more you have to work with. Combine that knowledge with excellent writing, and you will make an impact on your reader.

Knowing what you’re going to say is by far the most important ingredient to writing with confidence and authority.

A Christian Nonfiction Editor Can Help You Discover Your Story

Do you have trouble deciding what to say or finding a story structure that works?

Book a free discovery call or send me an email. We’ll take a look at your concept or manuscript together, and I can help you figure out what it is really about.

I can either edit your draft or coach you to help you get the best results yourself.