Writing a Non-fiction Book: Capture Real-life Experiences
A course by Duncan BarrettWriter and Editor
A course by Duncan Barrett, Writer and Editor
Turn a true story into an engaging page-turner by exploring interview methods, writing techniques, and character development for non-fiction writing
Through non-fiction, we can write true-life books that are as vivid and engaging as novels while connecting readers to stories of real people, just like them. Specializing in narrative non-fiction, writer and editor Duncan Barrett does exactly that. He creates testaments to lives and stories that might otherwise be forgotten while writing engaging page-turners. His bestselling work includes The Sugar Girls and GI Brides, and his book Men of Letters was nominated for the People's Book Prize.
In this course, he teaches how to mix interview methods with writing techniques from fiction. Discover how to build background and weave key themes throughout your narrative and your characters. Learn how to take the tales of ordinary people and translate them into powerful literature.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 22 downloads
First Contact 1
14 minutes, 12 seconds
First Contact 2
18 minutes, 5 seconds
Breaking It Down
11 minutes, 50 seconds
The Follow up Interview
19 minutes, 52 seconds
The Bigger Picture
19 minutes, 7 seconds
What Have You Got?
10 minutes, 36 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get to know writer and editor Duncan Barrett as he walks through his journey into the world of narrative non-fiction and shares the influences that have shaped his work, from books and music, to art and photography.
Duncan guides you on conducting your first interview with those you want to write about. Then, learn how to assess the results to begin forming the shape of your subject’s story. Identify a specific aspect of your narrative to delve into in preparation for your follow-up interviews. Next, research key themes and background ideas, and evaluate all your gathered information.
Discover how to apply a dramatic three-act structure to craft your story and divide it into chapters. Duncan shows you how to take real people and develop them into engaging characters. Then, learn how to weave core themes throughout your story. Time to write your sample chapter following Duncan's advice on language, dialogue, and tone.
See how to edit and improve your work, then hear how to write a professional book proposal and pitch it to a publisher or agent. End the course by looking at ways you can self publish and print your work.
What is this course's project?
Create a sample chapter of a book you want to write about a real-life story and a book proposal that serves as a detailed outline of the book.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interesting true story to tell, who wants to learn how to write it.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required. All you need is a real-life story you want to share in the form of a book.
Reviews
- 2 years ago
I enjoyed working through the course; Duncan certainly explains things very clearly. There were some surprising learning elements which I have not come across from other courses. I was very pleased to learn something totally new. Interesting perspective on writing a book about someone else's story.
- 2 years ago
El escritor Duncan Barret ofrece en su entrega una explicación clara respecto de la forma en cómo mantener el interés en el lector a través de los puntos resaltantes en la historia de no ficción que queramos relatar. Muy claro y conciso en su explicación de la narrativa.
- 2 years ago
Brilliant course, love it.
- 2 years ago
Another course on writing that I enjoy and love! This course is well organized and invites you as the writer to listen and tell others stories. Sharing stories to inspire and to connect is the perfect combination for me. Highly recommend this course!
- 3 years ago
Bem interessante.
The insight he gained in writing an impactful book-length story sparked a chain of events that led him to become an author of narrative non-fiction specializing in biography and memoir. His work includes the series’ The Sugar Girls and GI Brides which he wrote with his partner and which appeared in the The Sunday Times and The New York Times bestsellers’ lists. Duncan is also known for his solo titles such as Men of Letters, which was nominated for the People's Book Prize, Hitler's British Isles, and Ronnie Le Drew's showbiz memoir Unzipped. He also writes features for The Guardian.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Digging for Gold
- First Contact 1
- First Contact 2
- Breaking It Down
- The Follow up Interview
- The Bigger Picture
- What Have You Got?
- U3
Shaping the Story
- Acting Up
- Chapters
- Characters
- Seeding
- Pen to Paper
- U4
What’s Next?
- Rewriting and Editing
- How to Sell Your Story
- How to Self Publish
- FP
Final project
- Writing a Non-fiction Book: Capture Real-life Experiences
What to expect from a Domestika course
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FAQs
This course is designed for intermediate learners, so some familiarity with writing or storytelling basics is helpful. It’s ideal if you have previous writing experience and want to deepen your skills in narrative non-fiction.
You’ll need a computer with internet access, a word processor, and access to digital research tools. Optional materials include notebooks, index cards, and recording devices for interviews.
You’ll learn how to research, interview, structure, and write engaging real-life stories. Key skills include editing manuscripts, building compelling characters, organizing narratives, and preparing work for publication.
Topics include interview techniques, memoir structuring, editing historical manuscripts, using archival research, analyzing propaganda and photographs, crafting emotional dialogue, and applying three-act structure to real stories.
The course covers beat sheets, story graphs, emotional arcs, three-act structure, and visual tools like index cards to help organize and map story events for strong narrative flow.
Yes, the course covers effective interview techniques, building rapport, developing questions, handling sensitive topics, and organizing interview material for storytelling.
Absolutely. The course explores methods for researching, interviewing, and writing about both historical events and modern experiences, with adaptable frameworks for various non-fiction projects.