Writing non-fiction isn't always easy. Writers of non-fiction face conflicts on which facts and anecdotes to reveal. The importance of honesty in non-fiction writing is featured in this short article.

Those of us who write are always given the advice to write what we know. And why not? - especially when you are just searching for the best way to express yourself. Write what you know. Release the silence of the paper with noises from your own blood – what you feel flowing through your veins….the familiar. You might think your life, for instance is not exciting enough to write about. Most of us have had that feeling. We ask the question, who would want to read about my life? But sometimes it is that seemingly uninteresting life that has the ability to influence change….to impact positively on another life. Your own journey as a writer might just be the nudge to encourage another budding writer.

Learn to step back from your own self judgement and think about what you know….whether it’s your own personal experiences or someone you know, an incident that happened in your community or a family member. If you are affected in someway by that story, if your emotions were involved for one reason or another, chances are, it could make a great story, so why not talk about it on paper.

I found it quite challenging when I tackled my book, called The Teapot. Here, I was looking at the life and death of my father, exposing sensitive issues about my entire family. I truly had a hard time writing it. It was quite a conflicting experience. I constantly questioned each page… should I talk about his alcoholism? What will people say when they read it? Will this offend my mother and my siblings? The questions went on and on. But I also knew I had to write the story. For me, it was great therapy and it would've done more harm than good to keep all those emotions bottled inside. It was, however, important for me to talk to my family about it, not to ask permission to express truth, but to allow them to be aware of the process and to acknowledge that the only way to write non-fiction is with pure honesty.

It is easy to get caught up or distracted with the subject of our expressions, so much so that we convince ourselves that it is best not to write. It is a good thing when we can think about the feelings of others and I don’t think we should write to offend others. But as writers, we need to find balance. If you write, those around you need to understand what it means. The whole world becomes your stage. Everyone is a potential character; every incident is a possible plot. I don’t believe in taking the secrets of a friend and turning it into a bestseller unless it is with the blessing of that friend. I, however, believe that there is enough information in one’s life to mold and shape the creative mind, and the truth can turn a blank page into an interactive mental, emotional and spiritual dance.


About the author:
Currently residing in Kingston, Jamaica W.I., Jenese owns and operates a small production business, For Keeps, Ltd, in which is a Creative Writer and producer in radio and television production. She has written and produced a number of commercials and documentaries for national organizations and government officials. She currently holds three unpublished poetry books and a novel, and is also working on her second novel. Her first novel, The Teapot, is a non-fiction piece inspired by her father’s death in 1997, which explores the reality of her family life, the strength of her mother, her relationship with parents, and the acknowledgement and acceptance of her father’s existence. A writer with passion, being published and continuing to share countless creative expressions with the world remains one of her greatest desires and she is willing to explore various avenues for this to become reality.