Katie's Writing Notes

Another nonfiction writing method involves writing about points of General Advice, instructions to accomplish a goal.

GENERAL ADVICE DEFINED

General Advice tackles goals that are more abstract in nature.  It is generally not used for tasks with a physical result, as described in the previous article in this series, discussing process analysis.

The goals associated with this kind of writing often involve making decisions, comparing choices, and so on.  The goal itself is intangible.

General Advice lists main points of action concerning a goal.  These points of action need not be done in sequence, usually, although sometimes performing the action in sequence is recommended.

Usually with General Advice, the writer recommends to the reader to consider certain points before making a decision.  These points can be called tips, action steps, or points to consider.  For example, when selecting a college to attend, students should consider four or five main issues about each school before deciding where to apply.

Sometimes the advice is bulleted (but not numbered), or if each point requires a fair number of words to explain, then each piece of advice can be contained in its own section.

Visuals or illustrations of the process are usually not helpful or even possible.

WHEN TO USE GENERAL ADVICE

When your topic is more abstract in nature, requiring you to relate advice about important points, then you can use general advice in your writing.

TWO EXAMPLES

Writers who wish to publish with small publishers could read general advice about points to look for in a publishing contract, or attributes of the publishers themselves, when selecting the publisher to submit to.

Travel writers might include general advice in an article about safety at the beach or while sightseeing.

QUESTIONS FOR DETERMINING USE OF GENERAL ADVICE

1. Does your topic include abstract goals (without physical presence) that could use four or five (or more) tips or action steps?

2. Would this discussion help your reader better understand your topic and ways to implement your advice into their own lives?

3. How much detail should you give each point of advice?  Would the reader be helped by a short paragraph of a few sentences, or do you really need to go into detail and write a longer paragraph or section?

4. What reading level should you write at, so your audience can understand your explanations of your topic?

General advice involves writing instructions of a more abstract nature, which are a natural part of writing nonfiction pieces.  Use it to enhance your explanations for your readers.