Don’t: Write what you know

Write what you know

They (writers, publishers, agents, strangers) will say to write what does that mean? And why id the page titled Don’t write what you know?

Fiction Writing:

Yes, you read that right – don’t do it. In fiction, what you know, tends to be basic life. Unless you are some amazing person who has done absolutely amazing things (in which case you should write a memoir) when it comes to fiction, you have to be creative.

How many people have met a real life vampire, or are practicing wizards? How many of you have super powers and have saved the world? When it comes to writing fiction you have to be an incredibly imaginative person.

Now, that doesn’t mean your real life situations can’t be a part of that story. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times something has happened to me during every day life that made me wonder and think and come up with a new story idea.

If you are walking down a dark alley way and your heart begins pounding in your chest, that’s the kind of real-life situation you write about. Even if nothing dangerous happened, you felt that fear.

Daydreams are ways to escape reality, put some excitement in your life – so are books, TV shows and movies. When you get inspired with a story idea write about it. It doesn’t matter if your main character is nothing like you. Consider him/her an alter ego.

Research Details:

Don’t ever let your imagination take over completely though. To make a story seem real or plausible, the devils’ in the details. If you are writing about a sport you have no knowledge about, read up on it. If you need a doctor to give you bad news, ask a doctor what they would say. The point is, research is key to making your fiction story believable. You don’t need to be a doctor to write a hospital drama.