Prewriting for Nonfiction Reviews
To write a great review, you will need to choose a book or article you enjoy and spend some time gathering key details from it. The reading and collecting activities on this page will help you prepare to do your best writing. That's the purpose of prewriting.
Prewriting for Topics
Your first prewriting step is to choose a nonfiction work for your review. Ideally, the work is something you have recently read and enjoyed and want others to know about. Consider a memorable biography, autobiography, magazine story, newspaper story, or online article. Remember that the work needs to provide true information about a real person, place, thing, or event.
Explore writing topics.
Answer as many of the following questions as you can to help you think about topic ideas for your nonfiction review. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.
- What is the last book or article you really enjoyed reading? Was it a true story?
Answers will vary.
- What is your favorite book or article about a person you admire?
Answers will vary.
- What is your favorite book or article about one of your interests or hobbies?
Answers will vary.
- When was the last time a book or article surprised you? Did it tell a true story?
Answers will vary.
Choose your topic.
Use your answers from the last activity to decide which nonfiction work you will review.