non-fiction writing

Writing that is based on fact rather than the imagination, although it may contain fictional elements. Most non-fictional writing falls into four main categories:

Autobiography An account of a person's life written by that person. As a form, autobiography appeared during the Renaissance in the 15th century. It may take a specific theme (as in Mein Kampf/My Struggle (1925–1927) by Adolf Hitler), recount religious experience (as in Cardinal John Newman's Apologia of the 19th century) or present intellectual analysis (as in the Autobiography of the philosopher John Stuart Mill). Fictionalized autobiography can take the form of a novel – notable examples are Samuel Butler's The Way of All Flesh (1903) and James Joyce's The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916).

Personal journal An account of daily events, reflections, and experiences kept for private use. Although very few journals are written with the intention of publication, those of some acclaimed writers and statesman have appeared in print, usually posthumously, and are of great historical and literary interest. One of the most famous examples is Samuel Pepys's Diary (1825), which provides a fascinating insight into life in Restoration England, describing the coronation of Charles II, the horrors of the plague, and the Great Fire of London. See also letter.

Travel writing Popular form of autobiography dealing with the experiences and observations of writers travelling in different parts of the world. Such writing frequently compares lifestyle and culture between societies. Contemporary travel writers include Paul Theroux and Jan Morris.

Journalism Writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine. The purpose of such writing is usually to inform the reader and therefore it may simply report or describe factual information with no attempt at interpretation. Often, however, journalists try to convey an opinion along with the bare facts of the story, and in some cases this can lead to a distorted representation of the events or situation being reported. This can happen through exaggeration, use of emotive words such as ‘shocking’, a selective use of facts to present one side of an issue more strongly, and a chatty or imperative style which persuades the reader to the writer's point of view.

Other types of non-fiction writing are essays, and speeches or sermons.