Non-fiction helps us pick up skills, introduces new processes to us, and learn about stories that make our lives more bearable. Comparatively, fiction, its happy-go-lucky companion, doesn’t seem as fun to spend time with.

Why would we want to learn about the stuff that exists in imaginary universes? Fiction can seem like entertainment. Escapist alternatives to the valuable lessons in history, biographies, and business books. So with our finite amounts of time, the most effective thing to do would be to choose advice and information that applies into the real world, right?

I’m a hardcore non-fiction reader. The only Haruki Murakami work I’ve read was his memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. The only Stephen King work I have read was his autobiography, On Writing. And truthfully, I only read them because I wanted to understand the author’s creative processes and their stumbling blocks as I attempt to perfect my craft.

My exploration into fiction began when I realized fiction writers are generally that much better at writing. They spend their lives on it. And they have to be, because they can’t offer a tangible bag of lessons that non-fiction authors can entice readers with.

But it’s deeper than that.