This blog post is based on Writer's Connect newsletter Issue 54. It expands on the theme of getting personal with your writing, as presented by this week's top tip in the newsletter. If you've ever sought out advice on your writing, chances are you've come across the phrase write what you know. But what does it mean, and how can it inform your writing practice? Is there still any value in the concept, or is there nothing left to be gained from repeating it?
Today, we revisit the original top tip and see if we can't breathe some new life into the old adage.
What Does It Mean?
On one hand, to write what you know is to incorporate your lived experiences into your writing. On the other, it is to be wary of writing about subjects too far removed from that experience. The former makes your writing feel more relatable, and the latter prevents it from feeling 'cheesy' or inauthentic.
That's ... good, right?
Some of the common criticisms of writing what you know are that it is restrictive, discourages creativity, or is unhelpful for stories set in worlds that are very different to our own (such as those found in fantasy or sci fi). However, these criticisms are often the result of taking the advice too literally.
Write what you know doesn't mean completely avoid subjects you can't personally relate to. You don't always have to experience something first-hand to write about it convincingly. But, if you haven't experienced it, it would certainly pay to do your research before you start!
Write What You Know? But I Don't Know Anything!
This could not be further from the truth!
It can certainly feel this way, but the magic of 'write what you know' is not restricted to the most exciting events or the most interesting people. It is in the everyday occurrences that happen to all of us. The experiences that we can all share and relate to.
Write what you know is not a suggestion to look only to that which you know (or know best) for content. It is a call to look more closely at your world—to see beauty and significance in the mundane, and to relay it to others. It could be as simple as a pleasant exchange with a cashier, or a harsh word from someone you love said in anger.
No matter how alien the world in your story is, its readers are decidedly human. If an experience made you feel something, that's a good indication that it can be reframed for your readers' benefit!
How Do I Incorporate What I Know Into My Manuscript?
This is the tricky part.
It's one thing to write an experience you've had directly into your story. Integrating it into the narrative and making it significant for your characters too is another thing entirely.
Even readers who are not well-versed in a subject can tell when something feels off about how it's represented. If they look into it and find you haven't done enough research, it can harm your reputation.
Thankfully, we can help. At editors4you, we can not only make your experience work harder for you, but save you from potential pitfalls.
Visit our book editing page for more information on our services and submit an enquiry for a no-obligation quotation or sample edit of your manuscript.
Word of the Day
mien (n.)
/miːn/
A person’s mien is their appearance or bearing, and is often used to describe their mood or personality. Identifying a character’s mien when they are first introduced is a great way of quickly establishing an overall sense of who they are and what the reader can expect from them.
She had a cold, distant mien that made her difficult to approach.
His mien lifted the spirits of all who encountered him.
Quotidian Quote
“Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~ Barbara Kingsolver
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