Excerpts That Show Diversity
Writing styles and techniques will vary from category to category within this genre and you need to examine books similar to the one you intend to write. But to give you an idea of what you should be thinking about, consider the following excerpts.
“When Billy was 5 years old, his mother took him to the pediatrician because of his high activity level and difficult nature. The doctor told Billy's mother that there was nothing the matter with the boy and that she should take parenting classes. The mother left the pediatrician's office in tears…. When he was in third grade, Billy came to my office for an evaluation. Billy had classic ADD: He was inattentive, distractible, disorganized, hyperactive, and impulsive. I placed him on medication, talked with the school on effective classroom management techniques, and had his parents attend a parenting group…. Six months after ADD treatment, Billy was a different child.” (Healing ADD by Daniel G. Amen, MD)
“Because baby is getting a little older [8 weeks], you may be planning to take him out of town to meet his grandparents or other relatives. As you pack, think about what you'll need. For the diaper bag, consider the following:” (Your Baby's First Year Week by Week by Glade B. Curtis, MD, MPH and Judith Schuler, MS)
“No gimmick or quick road to effective parenthood, the ‘no-lose’ method requires a rather basic change in the attitude of most parents toward their children. It takes time to use it in the home, and it requires that parents first learn the skills of nonevaluative listening and honest communication of their own feelings.” (P.E.T. Parent Effectiveness Training by Dr. Thomas Gordon)
“My conclusion after twenty years of marriage counseling is that there are basically five emotional love languages — five ways that people speak and understand emotional love…. Once you identify and learn to speak your spouse's primary love language, I believe that you will have discovered the key to a long-lasting, loving marriage.” (The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Dr. Gary Chapman)
All of the excerpts are written by experts in their respective fields and yet they are written with a personal voice, conveying information and advice in a down-to-earth and comprehensible way. If the professionals can do it, certainly the lay author can.
You should be able to see how the standard techniques of writing nonfiction have been used even in the preceding brief excerpts. Dr. Amen told a story about a patient of his; a checklist was used in Your Baby's First Year; Dr. Gordon clearly explained what is required to become a better parent; and Dr. Chapman established his authority as an expert, setting the stage to explain his philosophy on maintaining loving relationships.
