Write What You Know–NOT!

By Susan Goodsell - Dec 14 , 2009

When I was in high school and had aspirations of being a famous journalist (if the whole becoming a famous actress thing didn’t work out, that is), I remember my English teacher telling us to “Write what you know.”

Hmmm…as a 15-year-old who had not yet had a boyfriend, held a job or, heck, even gotten a driver’s license, that advice felt a little limiting! How does one write about love, loss, or the freedom of the road until one has experienced it?

As Howard Nemerov so succinctly put it: “Write what you know. That should leave you with a lot of free time!”

Flash forward to the present and as a writer with what sometimes feels like too much life experience, I have learned that this oft-repeated mantra of “Write what you know” is really a bit of a fallacy.

Now it is certainly true that John Grisham’s thrillers wouldn’t be as effective had he not been a trial lawyer and Robin Cook’s experience as a doctor led to the page-turning appeal of his medical chillers. Their previous professions allow these gentlemen to weave stories which seem more realistic due to the industry-specific jargon and richness of descriptive settings.

Having spent two decades of my life as a travel consultant, I am the first to point out that it drove me nuts when, in the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” the travel agent played by Nia Vardalos read a British Airways booking number and it contained an incorrect number of characters. Those little details will jump out to anyone with knowledge of that particular industry’s conventions and jargon.

Further, as a franchise owner of BNI, the world’s largest business referral organization, I obviously write a lot about networking for entrepreneurs and business owners who rely on referrals to gain new business.

Yet I have learned over the years that my best writing doesn’t come from a place of experience, but rather from a place of exploration.

So here’s a list of “What to Write About” when those creative juices are as dry as the Sahara:

• Write about a subject that interests you and that you regret never having studied. The energy and enthusiasm that comes from diving into a new field adds pep to your step and a sparkle to your writing.
• Write about something you absolutely, positively loved to do as a kid: Horseback riding? Taffy pulling? Catching fireflies up at the lake? There’s a market somewhere for any topic…find it.
• Write about what editors are looking for. A writer who’s in the same author mentoring program that I’m in got her “in” with a newspaper editor by writing a story about the local county fair – nothing she would have even thought to cover, but she knew he was looking for a hometown story and she filled the need. Now he sends her all over town to cover other local events, and she gets a small but steady stream of income for it and has a great time experiencing new things besides!
• Write about a subject where you have connections. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not who you know, but rather how well you know them that opens doors. Interview a friend who’s a big shot in a particular field and you will ride on the coattails of your friend’s credibility.
• Write what you are passionate about. Did you adopt Curly, Moe and Larry – your three lovable mutts – from the Humane Society and spend volunteer time dog-walking at your local shelter? Do you financially support the mission of Doctors Without Borders? Do you need an extra part-time job to pay for your golf habit? Have you been on 53 cruises? (Okay, I admit that last one is mine – time to find a market for that one!)

If every author stuck to “Write what you know,” then science fiction, fantasy, and period pieces wouldn’t exist. So use that mantra merely as a starting point, and then branch out. The silver lining is that the more you learn, the more you explore, and the more you become involved in different fields or industries, then the more rounded you become and the better your writing becomes. And before you know it…Shazaam! You are an expert in the field and editors seek you out!

Well, what do you know about that?!!