Write What You Know..."But that would be boring!"...NOT!

One of the first things I remember hearing upon taking the path to publication is "write what you know." The first thought I had was that I could only write about Ohio where I've lived for over 33 years. I wonder how many other new writers are plagued by that statement. I have a dear friend whose husband tells her the reason she isn't published is that she's not writing what she knows. Maybe he's right, but most likely he's incorrect.

Writing what one knows doesn't mean where you live, what you eat, what you wear, or all the ordinary things one does each and every day. What it means is giving your characters feelings and emotions which make them come to life with your words. In order to do that, a writer must tap into his or her past experiences and dig deep to remember the emotions, the sights, the sounds, the tastes...everything they felt at a given moment in time. It requires quiet introspection, visualization, and truly "getting to know oneself." Many will recall wonderful, happy moments...other will recall painful, deep hurt.

Rachel Ballon, the author of BREATHING LIFE INTO YOUR CHARACTERS, leads the reader into a series of "free writing" exercises which tap into these memories. I'd highly recommend it for anyone who is seeking a way to create better, bigger than life, characters.

Anyone can come up with a good story idea. But in order to write that story in a way to grab an editor, agent, and reader's attention, the key ingredient is characterization. In order to do this, you need to write emotionally...in other words, write what you know!

I'd love to hear from readers on this one. In your favorite books, what made them stand out for you? Was it the actual plot, or how the characters handled the situation? Have you ever read a book where you didn't care about the characters or if they achieved their goal?

Write What You Know

I've heard that said by so many people. Write what you know. What does that mean?

As a new writer, I had no idea what to do with that phrase. What did I know? Should I write about knitting, crocheting, ceramics, crafting? Or should I write about raising kids, or working too many hours? How could these things be intriguing to anyone else?

I wrote. I became published. I still wondered about those words.

One day not long ago, I began to understand what those words mean. I've been through a lot in my life. A lot good...a lot bad. I've been hurt and I've hurt others. I've been terrified and I've been happy. I've lost loved ones and seen babies born. I've told lies and reaped the consequences.

Those are things I know. So when my characters get into situations that I've faced at one time in my life, I can close my eyes and remember back to the time it happened to me. I need to pull out the details of that particular situation. It requires meditation and going back into time, experiencing the hurt or the happiness all over again. Where was I when it happened? What was I wearing? What about the other person, if there was someone else there at the time. Once I've captured this, then I can write what my character is experiencing...using what I know.

Use what you know, and write from the heart. Your characters will come to life on the page through your own experiences. It doesn't have to be exact. You just have to know what emotion your character is experiencing and tap back into your memory for a similar emotion you felt.

Good luck! Thanks for stopping by.