What should I know about writing non-fiction?

When writing non-fiction, there are three core concepts that must be remembered at all times. The first is that you must remember the conventions of the specific form of non-fiction you are using; secondly, you must think about what the intended purpose is of your writing; and thirdly, you must consider who will be receiving your writing i.e. who is your audience? However, there are some things that you should always do, no matter the answers to these questions. For example, your writing must always have a good structure!Regarding conventions of form, you must carefully consider what the form of your writing is going to take. Is it a letter? A speech? A newspaper article? Each one will influence on the style, tone, and language techniques employed. For example, if you are writing a newspaper article about some exciting new technology, you will use informative, technical language which explains the new technology to the reader. However, if you are writing a letter to the director of a major company, you will use quite formal language. The next concept to consider is what the purpose is. Using the examples above, if the purpose of the newspaper article is to inform readers about the technology, you will be using different language than you would if your purpose was to write an article in order to sell the new technology. As with the letter to the director of a company, the language you use, while formal, will differ depending on the express purpose of the letter. Finally, regarding the intended audience, this will also influence the language techniques and styles you use. Let's use the newspaper article as an example: if the article is to be placed in a tabloid newspaper, you may not use as technical language than you would if your article was for New Scientist magazine. If you can consider these concepts and use them in your writing, you will be able to write outstanding non-fiction pieces in no time!