Write What You Know, But Learn As You Go

by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites
Recently, I had the pleasure of contributing an article to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine for their Raising an Entomologist theme. The acceptance took me back on a reminiscent journey of my writing.
Very early in my writing trek, after receiving many rejections, I decided I needed to actually do some research to find out more about the actual concept of becoming a published writer. After all, my undergraduate and graduate degrees were both Early Childhood Education. 
I heard the phrase “write what you know” at a conference and decided to adhere to that path. I sent a query to an educational publishing house for a teacher resource book idea. Because of my education degrees, teaching experience, the company said I was a great fit to write the book I’d proposed. I completed the manuscript, received my pay, and looked forward to seeing the book in print.
By the time I received the acceptance, I was no longer teaching. My new hat was stay-at-home mom. I continued on the “write what you know” path and sent in queries to a sweet, non-paying publication for stay-at-home moms called Welcome Home. I had several pieces accepted, which helped me get acceptances to a paying market, Lifeway’s ParentLife Magazine.
Fast-forward a couple of years, and I added the homeschooling mom hat to my resume. I queried Homeschooling Today Magazine about a unit study on insects, because, after all, I was married to an entomologist, so I knew I had a resident resource at my disposal. That acceptance led to other science-based unit studies, as well as others, and I wrote for that magazine for several years. 
As my children got older and took part in Vacation Bible School and children’s ministry activities, I jumped right in as a volunteer with each activity. I used that knowledge to help me get an acceptance as a Group Publishing curriculum writer. I wrote lessons for that company for years and have pieces included in two dozen resources. 
While at a Group Publishing workshop, I met a fellow author who wrote children’s news events for the Denver Post. She asked if I’d come aboard as a writer with her. I hesitated to say yes – I’d never written for a newspaper, but, she reminded me that I’d be translating current event articles into kid-friendly language, and she knew my background with Early Childhood Education. It was my first step off the “write what you know” path. I decided I could “learn as I go” with my friend’s help. 
I enjoyed writing with the Post for a number of years, and that gave me the confidence to query my local newspaper editor about contributing a family column. Another, “learn as you go” adventure. He jumped at the chance to have another monthly columnist and later asked me to contribute faith-based pieces to the paper. I was so excited to write God-stories in the newspaper that I didn’t hesitate to say “yes,” even though I knew for sure that would be a “learn as you go” path into the wilderness, because I knew nothing at all about newspaper freelancing.
I’ve enjoyed a great time as a newspaper stringer and continued contributing to other avenues that were already a part of my repertoire. Keeping the idea of “write what you know,” combined with “learn as you go,” keeps my writing fun and adventurous. 
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If you’re just starting the writing journey, brainstorm areas that you might qualify for with experience. Think about your education background, career path, childhood happenings, volunteer opportunities, hobbies, and passions. But, also be willing to jump into unfamiliar territory with the plan to “learn as you go.” When you combine the two, you’ll have a fun and adventurous writing journey! Julie Lavender enjoys writing in areas that she feels qualified to write due to her experiences, but she also loves the challenge of learning something new to put pen to paper! No matter what she writes, she feels guided by the Lord along the path, because as she says, “My background is Early Childhood Education. That makes it even easier to give God all the credit for my writing journey.” She’s especially thankful God guided her to write 365 Ways to Love Your Children: Turning Little Moments into Lasting Memories, that released in October from Revell.