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WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, or WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT
By beanerywriters(11,675)
"WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW," OR "WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT" was the theme of the discussion at the May 25, 2007 Beanery Writers Group Meeting. Below are excerpts from two articles used for the discussion (unfortunately, I’ve lost the reference where they were published): From: Writing True by Timber Shelton
I suddenly understood that "writing true" doesn't mean you have to write about your actual biographical occurrences, the setting and situation is just the wrapping paper. To "write true" means to write about the core of any situation - the anger, envy, joy, grief, shame, loneliness, abandonment, longing, denial, rapture, fear and, of course, love - and the impression it makes on your spirit. Emotional landscapes that most of us have visited and sometimes lived in. Finding the grain of truth in any circumstance your characters are given and how the emotions brought on by those circumstances shape their hearts. It is not the specific experiences that readers usually relate to. Instead, it is the truest, deepest and most profound sentiments that lie behind those experiences - whether it be the humiliation that we wish to keep hidden, or the passion we want to shout from every roof top.
From: How to Outgrow Write What You Know by Jenna Glatzer
"Write what you know" is a very good starting point. But that's all it is. It's a place for you to go to get your feet wet, and a place to come back to when the tide gets too high. But it's not a place to stay for very long.
I have no experience with (many) of the above topics, and there's a good reason for that: I never really WANTED to have experience with them. Since I have no real passion for any of the topics, if I had to write articles about them, it would feel like work.
But did you ever stop to think about the things you always wanted to know, but never found out? Or all the interesting people you wanted to meet? Or the problems you've encountered that you wanted solved?
Think of freelance writing as your own opportunity to learn about all the things you ever wanted to know, and don't worry if you're not yet an "expert" in any of these areas! Among my favorite writing assignments have been topics in which I had no previous expertise:
When working to broaden your writing horizons, be sure to think about two things: your passions, and your curiosities. Consider it a challenge. Keep learning. Use your writing as a vehicle to answer every question you never had time to answer before. There are lots of people out there who have wondered about those very same things, and you can help them!
You don't need to be an expert. You need to be a great researcher, and you need to be willing to ask questions. Lots of questions, sometimes. But that's one of the great things about writers--we're such curious creatures. Jenna Glatzer is the editor-in-chief of http://www.absolutewrite.com
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Posted to ProBlogs.com on Monday, January 01, 2007
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