Literary Nonfiction

What exactly is literary nonfiction? How do you identify whether something is part of this genre or not? Is literary nonfiction any kind of prose that’s not a story?

I don’t think so.

Literary nonfiction is a type of prose that deals with facts. However, these facts are presented in a way that readers find attractive. This kind of nonfiction uses certain elements of literature and art. It could be a story about a person, city, place, family, events, institution, etc. It could be about anything a person writes in a journal or magazine article about. The literary elements that could be used range from imagery and dialogue to literary devices.

The most important thing to keep in mind here is that literary nonfiction should be rooted in fact. Everything that you write has to be true and should be verifiable, if someone so chooses.

When you study literary nonfiction, here a few things you might want to focus on. The first one is what the author is trying to say - obviously. A deep analysis and close reading of the text is important. Second, you can look at the author’s style and way of writing. This can help you learn how to write a similar piece of literary nonfiction. You can write about pretty much anything you want. You can choose to philosophize about anything and write. It could even be a personal piece, i.e., a personal essay. 

If you think you have something to say and that people would benefit from reading it, I'd say go for it! Explore and try your hand at it. I've heard trying things you don't really like could help you improve the craft you want to specialize in.