How much storytelling does a non-fiction book need?

Many non-fiction authors just focus on teaching, informing or demonstrating their expertise. After all, that’s the role of a non-fiction book. But when you look at titles that really resonate with readers and hit the bestseller lists, they contain a powerful component: storytelling.

That doesn’t mean authors are making things up. Quite the opposite. They’re using real people, real stories and real situations to bring their ideas to life. That might include exploring relationships, building suspense, introducing conflict or showing an arc of change, which happen to be hallmarks of great storytelling.

But how do you strike the right balance between sharing facts or figures and stories? And does every non-fiction book need storytelling?

In this article, I’ll look at why stories can enhance your non-fiction book, which genres do it best and how to incorporate storytelling techniques that hook readers and keep them engaged.

Why stories work

For centuries, we’ve been wired to remember stories. It’s how news or information was passed down before we learnt how to read or write. But there’s a scientific basis to this too.

In a Princeton University study in 2010, researchers instructed participants to recount a story to someone else. After analysing fMRI imaging in both participants (the speaker and the listener), they found that ‘communication is a joint activity’ where the neurons in our brains fire in the same way as the speaker’s, a phenomenon known as neural coupling or mirroring.

When this happens, the listener’s brain mirrors the brain activity in the speaker’s brain and dopamine is released. Not only does this foster deeper understanding, but it makes the experience easier to remember. Let that idea sink in. Someone else’s story can arouse the same emotions – and it can stay with you. 

That’s what you want from readers. When you rely on facts or statistics to build an argument, they’re easily forgotten (unless the reader is a savant or taking notes!). Instead, you want an idea to resonate deeply (i.e. mirroring) and keep the reader invested in your journey.

How to incorporate storytelling in your non-fiction book

Depending on your book’s genre and audience, you can incorporate stories in the following ways:

• To provide context: If you’re writing a book based on personal experience (e.g. overcoming trauma, building a six-figure business), real stories can help readers connect with the themes of the book. This shows them you understand their challenges and have the experience to back it up.

  
  

• To illustrate a point: It’s one thing to tell someone that bullying is bad. It’s quite another to show it. Stories are a great way to support your claims and provide a visceral – and thus memorable – experience for the reader. Of course, you don’t need a story for every point, but if you’ve got a relevant anecdote that fits the bill, use it.

  
  

• To make complex or abstract ideas more concrete: Some concepts can be hard to grasp for general readers, so anecdotes or hypothetical situations can make them more accessible, particularly if your book has been dry or informational so far.

  
  

• To build credibility: Stories are a great way to support your arguments. Instead of saying ‘studies show’ or ‘experts say’, which can lack credibility, use additional information to show how the research was undertaken. For example, define the problem, explain the methods, describe the findings (including any inconsistencies or complexities) and sum up the takeaways.

  
  

• To create an emotional connection: There are moments in a book when you want readers to connect with a person, place or thing, usually to bring home a concept or incite action. This is a good place to weave in a powerful story that resonates with your reader’s experiences or pain points.

Where exactly should stories go?

It all depends on the book. Stories can be woven into the book’s introduction (for context), at the start of chapters (as a hook), interspersed throughout (to vary momentum) or in places where the content may be dry (to add colour).

But make sure there’s balance. Some authors weave in stories in earlier chapters and then lose steam. If you don’t have enough stories for your book, or they’re not appropriate in every chapter, you could open a story loop in one chapter and close it later. It’s also a great way to keep people reading. Suspense and anticipation are great motivators!

Can you have too little storytelling?

You’ve probably heard of the term ‘info dump’ in fiction. That’s when an author dumps a lot of information on the reader. In other words, they ‘tell’ rather than ‘show’. This can happen in non-fiction too.

In these cases, the reader is overwhelmed by all the information they need to process. It may feel dense or academic or ‘over their head’. And guess what? When readers mentally disengage, they stop reading.

But don’t get me wrong. There’s still a place for straight facts or exposition in non-fiction. In fact, it wouldn’t be non-fiction without them. But it’s all about balance and incorporating stories where they strengthen the book. (For a more detailed analysis of this topic, see 10 common mistakes non-fiction authors make.)

Can you have too much storytelling?

This is often highly subjective and depends on the genre. If you’re writing a memoir or true crime, you may need more storytelling than other genres. It’s a core element of narrative non-fiction and readers expect it. 

But with other books, like history, biography, business or self-help, readers want facts or a solution to their problem, and too many stories can be distracting.

What’s more, if the stories don’t serve the reader, they’re pointless filler. In a self-help book, for instance, a couple of case studies may be ideal to illustrate an important point. But if there are five or six making the same point, readers might get bored and move on.

That said, there are also non-fiction genres where storytelling may not be appropriate, like textbooks, how-to guides (e.g. sewing, coding or language-learning), gardening books and cookbooks (unless they have chapter openers, a travel/memoir component or recipe intros). Again, it all depends on the book’s purpose and target audience.

The 5 golden rules of storytelling in non-fiction

If you’re planning to use storytelling techniques in your book, do it intentionally, not because you think you should. Like any technique, there’s an art to it. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

1. Make sure the story is relevant.

2. Don’t make it too long.

3. Don’t fictionalise it.

4. Make sure you have permission to tell someone else’s story.

5. Change details if you need to protect someone’s privacy (and acknowledge this in your disclaimer or preface).

What non-fiction genres can benefit from storytelling?

Some have already been mentioned in the body of the article, but here is a list of non-fiction genres that can benefit from storytelling:

• memoir

• true crime

• business

• self-help

• health and wellness

• travel

• history

• biography or autobiography

• popular science

• journalism

• personal essays

• cookbooks.

Takeaways: How much storytelling does a non-fiction book need?

There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to storytelling in non-fiction. How much you need depends on the genre, topic and audience – and how many stories you have to share.

While non-fiction is driven by the desire to educate and inform, stories add a more nuanced layer: they provide context, build credibility, simplify abstract concepts and illustrate key points. Not only does this make your non-fiction book more compelling to read, but thanks to the power of neural coupling or mirroring, it’s likely to be remembered too!

Need help with storytelling in your non-fiction book? Send me an email to discuss your needs or request a sample edit.