Easier to Write Fiction or Non-Fiction

I'm the opposite of you suspenseful. I'm better at non-fiction. The things I end up writing always end up in the fiction category because 'the names are changed to protect the innocent'. LOL There is a very fine line between some fiction and non-fiction. I've written a novel (of course unpublished thus far) that had to be categorized as women's fiction, even though 99% of it was a true story. It's the 1% that is not true that made it fiction. I like to write the stories based on my own experiences. And in the words of Bette Midler in her role a CC, in the popular movie Beaches, "My memory is long". I remember things so well, sometimes I wonder how I remembered it. Some of my friends call me Steel Trap because they don't know how I remember the things I do. I just have that knack. Once I hear or see or do something, it's just stuck, like a steel trap that won't let loose the experience. It's sometimes fascinating and then, other times, a detrement. I just love writing, as you can probably tell.

To be honest my novel is really a mixture of both fiction and historical happenings from my past. I tried writing my autobiography, but decided a lot of the happenings from it could be incorporated into a work of fiction. By doing this I could exadurate, and make other things more humorous, or more dramatic. I will finish my autobiography, so I can pass it on to my children.

I am much better at non-fiction writing although from time to time I have a go at writing fiction but I know it's not very good. Creative writing is just not really my thing and yet when I was at school I was very good at it, particularly poetry. I won a couple of national contests for poetry! Nowadays I just can't seem to do it. Something has happened to my brain as I've got older I'm afraid! Now I concentrate on factual articles and I do some copywriting but I haven't given up on non-fiction completely. The ability I used to have may return someday lol!

I too have that problem of not recalling past events. Some I remember and some I don't. Lots of times I have to be reminded by a family member about something that has happened it the past. For me I think it is a built in defense mechanism. I try not to hold on to anything that isn't worth remembering. As far as writing goes, I'm not sure. To me right now it would take way too much thinking, and I am doing good to write and respond to discussions!

I think I am pretty good at writing both. I didn't use to think that my fiction was very good. I was always self critical of it, but when I started showing some of my stories to other people and or posting some on the net; I got a lot of positive feedback. So I guess I must be ok in that area, even if I don't always think so. Non-fiction isn't just about factual events that happened in your own past, it is anything that is not fiction, i.e., school text books, such as a geography book, would be non-fiction also. I am pretty good at researching something then writing the facts I find about it in my own words. As far as writing non-fiction about my own past, I have done that. Most any events that have occurred in my life that are worth writing about, I can recall pretty well, so I have no problem there. So I think I am pretty good at writing both fiction and non-fiction. I prefer to write fiction however, because that is a lot more fun!

i like to wright non-fiction books.why?.because it's easyer how?well you see you could wright like the dragon ate the knight and so that is fake and make more fantasy stuff and say santa is coming and to see if your notty or nice but snta is fake if u do not get my point ask ma questinos and my name is(walker123)bye.

I do not consider either Fiction or Non fiction to be harder than the other, it all depends on the individual and their preference. Both forma require a certain level of command of grammar and expressiveness, but they do differ concerning content. For Fiction you require an active and creative mind whereas Non Fiction simply requires a respectable knowledge of the subject matter. I believe that we are all capable of writing both but the quality of the composition will depend on the writing ability of the author.

I am a journalist so my work is all non-fiction. Sometimes I do human interest articles but they too are non-fiction. I have never really made an attempt at fiction because you have to have a vivid imagination. I seem to do better with the facts. But I am intrigued by fiction. I might try it one day.

I'm new to writing. I remember dabbling at poetry, but who doesn't. But, I've always thought I wanted to write more, so when someone recommended helium.com, I joined up. I have been enjoying it, but funny enough...found out it is a little bit of work. LOL. Almost like doing class assignments trying to come up with articles or poems on topics I found that sounded interesting. I have no training in writing, so duh...maybe that's why it is hard. And just yesterday, I had my first rejected article as "undeveloped" and realized I just can't toss something off and expect it to be as good. It made me stop and think, for sure. Spending as much on buying books as I do, I always thought I'd love to be able to write and sell a book so I could support my habit! LOL I guess non-fiction is what I do best, except for the poetry.

Im not a writer..but i guess writing fiction is much better since you will not deal on facts just creative minds who are doing the works/story..and i agree with you much easier and fun...

I've written both forms and have to agree that I also prefer to write fiction. It offers me an outlet to be as creative or as crazy as I want to be and use that "other" me. I'm currently working on 2 books. One which is non-fiction and one that is fiction and the non-fiction takes a lot of energy out of me as opposed to writing fiction although I do think that with this work of fiction I am currently working on I am pushing a little more towards controversial ;)

I am good at both. The way I write fiction is either ideas I get from dreams, mostly nightmares because I mostly write horror stories, also from events that have happened in my life. I too have forgotten things from my childhood due to traumatic events. What I do is take something that happened in my life and turn it into fiction by changing names, places, and some of the events. I have written about 4 or 5 short stories, tons of poetry, and tons of articles for Associated Content but I got bored with writing the articles because it does get boring after a while. I have been thinking of a novel based on mine and my husbands life and what led up to us meeting, falling in love and getting married. You know something like it would start out the year my hubby was born, 1969 and lead up to the year I was born, 1980 and then go from there. The things we went through, the mistakes we made and then we met and saved each other from destroying ourselves any further. What do you think? Do you think this is a good idea for a novel? Oh my creative juices are flowing now! I need to come up with the money for a printer soon! Great discussion by the way! :) And I think one of my New Year's resolutions will be to start on that novel!

i like to wright non-fiction books.why?.because it's easyer how?well you see you could wright like the dragon ate the knight and so that is fake and make more fantasy stuff and say santa is coming and to see if your notty or nice but snta is fake if u do not get my point ask ma questinos and my name is(walker123)bye.

i would write about non fiction lol and i'm gonna based it on my real life

I'm better at fiction thannon-fiction. I'm absolutely horrible explaining facts, but if its fictional, hey..I can give you an IN DEPTH explanation which'll probably, by the end of it, make you wish I'd never started explaining in the first place lol. Though not in the books I write, themselves, obviously. That would kinda spoil the mystique a little, heh. I've written several fictional books, and published one so far. I've a horribly head for dates, too, and sometimes stories require such things, but I write notes for each story's plot and characters, and sometimes entire planets where the events take place..so its not usually much of a problem. I dunno, I suppose if I worked hard enough I could write a non-fictional book too..I'd probably have issues with keeping myself motivated in writing it. And I could NEVER write a biography for myself. My memories aren'y completely linear, for one. More organized via what took place, the type of memory, et cetera..and I kinda...lost half my memories and have mostly just highlights for what I have left (Trauma's a memory-killer, for sure)...which kindof really sucks 'cause some of what got deleted from my brain was academics. But yeah, even besides that, I really don't like talking about my history. You know? Or really just myself as a topic, for prolonged periods... So yeah.

I once wrote a short story, sort of documentary in English and published in a compilation of short stories. It was my first year in Canada and first time writing in English, my grammar was so bad the publisher asked me to re do it again. They said it was original and fresh, but I had to do it in past tense so I rewrote it and this time they accepted it. But since then I never write again. I never write in my mother language so I'm really surprised my story was ever published. I didn't even think it was written well, but the acceptance was encouraging. I can imagine things and draw them, but to put them into writing I never try that out, especially in English.

i find non fiction easier, all you have to do is collect facts and put them in order. all this requires is research. it is pretty easy to do. i have issues with dialogue when writing fiction, i am not that great at it!!

I don't care for non-fiction. Gathering facts, arranging them, putting them down in a fashion to be interesting sounds a lot harder than telling a story from out of your own head. I personally find my life boring, and who whats to read a boring thing, as well as the fact that I don't want to write a boring story. I write fiction both because its less fact oriented and more interesting.

I love reading fiction books and I dont know I would ever have the chance to make fiction stories. MAybe its easier making fiction ones coz you can play with your imagination.

uhm... ??? ... I think you are confusing non-fiction with autobiography. Non-fiction is an article or book that you write about something real: say a book on how to earn money online, or an article about the ten best toys to buy for a Cocker Spaniel. What you are talking about is writing a story about your life. Writing a story about your life is called autobiography. Fiction is making things up on a whim, and could be based on your life or not. Which am I good at? Both fiction and non-fiction. I write short stories 5,000 - 10,000 words each, novels, non-fiction books, but the thing that brings in the most money are non-fiction articles so that is what I write the most of, because I need to at least put food on the table. Like you, though, I find that writing autobios is very hard, and I have not yet written a story about my life.