Those of us who are trying to write well about the world we live in, or to teach students to write well about the world they live in, are caught in a time warp.

be/live in a time warp/ figurative过时的

    to be old-fashioned in your behaviour or opinions

    He's living in a time warp - he even wears a bowler hat to work!

Not until 1940 was it brought home to them in a book, Mrs. Miniver, a stiff-upper-lip novel about the early days of the Battle of Britain.

stiff upper lip

Someone who has a stiff upper lip does not show their feelings when they are upset

    He was taught at school to keep a stiff upper lip, whatever happens.

The Saturday Evening Post, which had long spoon-fed its readers a heavy diet of short stories by writers who all seemed to have three names.

spoon feed

    to give someone so much help or information that they do not need to try themselves向…填鸭式灌输，过分照顾;娇生惯养

    By giving out printed sheets of facts and theories, the teachers spoon-fed us with what we needed for the exam.

But behind the facade I found that the library had 19 research divisions.

Facade

    （虚假的)外观，外表;假象；A facade is an outward appearance which is deliberately false and gives you a wrong impression about someone or something. [oft N of n]

    They hid the troubles plaguing their marriage behind a facade of family togetherness.

Now, nobody thinks Mr. Hunter really said all that in one spurt; Mitchell did a heap of splicing.

spurt

    a sudden and short period of increased activity, effort or speed

    There was a sudden spurt of activity in the housing market.

    He tends to work in spurts.

a heap of

    尤指杂乱的一堆；A heap of things is a pile of them, especially a pile arranged in a rather untidy way. [oft N of n]

    //...a heap of bricks...

SUMMARY

Although there still exists some misunderstanding between literature and literary in the 19th century, what most writers choose to write and readers read is nonfiction. Nonfiction, as a new literature covering all areas of life, provides readers with enough information, energy and humanity. Nonfiction writing is suitable for most learners, because it concerns people’s own lives and stimulates motivation.

When writing about people, the writer must learn how to conduct an interview. In an interview, the writer should get information as much as possible, for“quotes”can make the writing alive. Zinsser also gives some instructions on how to make a successful interview. First, choose someone related to readers' life. Second, be prepared with paper and pencil, leaving the tape recorder for necessary situations. Third, processing the materials after the interview. In organizing the interview, pay attention to the proportion of the "quote" to keep balance. Finally, be free to use "he said", because readers will skip over those words automatically.