: Re: technical subjects - non-fiction vs fiction This is a question I tried to ask in Novelizing non-fiction, is it worth it? But was un-clear and maybe too generic. Let’s say I am a scuba diving

@Deb2945533

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You're talking about two very different kinds of book. In a way this is like asking, "I'm going to college. Should I major in chemistry or poetry?" That all depends on what you like, what you're good at, and what you expect to do with the degree. Someone could list the pros and cons of each, but without knowing your wants and needs and aptitudes, there's no way they could answer the question.

Do you want to teach people how to dive? Or do you want to tell an entertaining story? People who aren't interested in learning how to dive aren't going to buy a how-to book. People who want to learn how to dive aren't going to look for a novel on the subject. It's unlikely that a novel about diving is going to teach people how to dive. Not effectively, anyway. (And I don't know anything about diving, but if you apply for your scuba certification and the examiner asks what classes you've taken, I'll go out on a limb and guess that a response of, "Oh, I've never taken any classes, but I read a really great novel about a diver!" won't count for much.)

If you want to teach people how to dive, if you want to spell out detailed techniques, etc, then write a non-fiction "how to" book. If you've had interesting experiences while diving that you think people would like to read about, you could write a non-fiction "true adventures" book. If you have ideas for an entertaining story about diving, or if you want to tell people who aren't interested in diving how much fun it is, then write a novel.

Not sure what else someone could say.

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