Storytelling in nonfiction books- In conversation with Reema Ahmad and Ashdin
As part of the #BlogchatterWritFest 2023, Blogchatter hosted a discussion with Ashdin and Reema Ahmad on the topic of Storytelling in Nonfiction books.
Ashdin is a Mumbai-based popular habit coach, who has been transforming the lives of many people who feel stuck, by creating habits that can be easily incorporated into daily life. He is the founder of Awesome 180, a habit coaching program. He also hosts the popular podcast the habit coach. He is also the author of the book Change your habits change your life.
Reema is a Trauma and relationship counselor, who started her career as a sexuality educator and child sexual prevention advocate. She is a poet, editor, and author of Unparenting.
How does it feel to put a very personal experience out in the open?
Reema: It feels naked and exposed to put yourself out there and share your experiences. But talking about life has become part of the process because in order to connect with the readers and make them see you as a fellow human being. It is like taking the moral high graph. I can begin only with what I know which is sharing my own journey and process as a parent unlearning and relearning. It feels raw and reliving many parts of my life, like rehashing at a personal and emotional level.
Stories play a huge part in bridging the gap between just readers and the ones who take action
Ashdin: In the self-help space, there are two popular kinds of books, a book that gives you Gyan, or the one that takes you through a story. There are lots of books in the market about habits but how many people who read the book follow them? So, the first task is to bridge the gap between reading the book and implementing it. That’s when I found out that putting stories in the book is a great way of showcasing that ‘If that person can do it then so can I’. This simply gives a reason for people to connect with the book, because as human beings we are so used to hearing stories.
What is your creative process like? How to get your non-fiction part right?
Reema: Being an NPL counselor gives me the upper hand in looking at a single story as multiple threads of a different story. Thus, it was difficult to take a moral high ground of what is right and what is wrong. Which makes the practical aspect of writing very messy but more human. That’s why people who read the book said that they never felt judged which most parenting books often do. So, I hold on to the fact that I am flawed and no expert.
Ashdin: Subconsciously when writing it is easy to take the moral high ground but it doesn’t have any impact while writing as it is a one-way communication. So, we add “must”, and “should” everywhere. But these kinds of words are very dangerous as they come with a lot of weight. Hence, it is important to take a step back and say “No, I am not preaching”. That is the key to getting your nonfiction right.
One habit that all creatives must inculcate
Ashdin: One should be getting a variety of streams of information and experiences into your life. To be creative one should know how to collate two different ideas together. The more ideas you have, the more experiences you have, the more things you are constantly learning, and the more ways you will be able to connect between two things into the forefront. So, never stop learning.
Conducting research for writing non-fiction
Reema: While writing a self-help book, make sure to have sufficient life experiences and that you have gone through enough processes to speak about something and for there to be enough amount of objectivity and distance. That is the first step of research. And of course, since it’s nonfiction, read up on the subject matter and a lot of opposing perspectives so as not to be lost and carried away in one’s own views. That being said, the amount of research may vary from person to person depending on their life experiences.
Ashdin: The first step is to set a specific period of time for research and writing separately. But most of all sticking to that schedule is all that matters. Next, use a mind map for all the things you would like to include in your book from the research to get a proper structure of your content. The last rule is not to read competing literature before completing your book. This could be done once you complete writing your book. Because you could subconsciously get seeded by those ideas which will make your book sound the same as the one you read.
That was our talk with the brilliant writers. Catch the whole session here and gather your insights!
