Write about What You Fear

The following crosspost appears originally at Magical Words, a brilliant blog that focuses on the craft of writing and the business of writing for aspiring novelists. It's a wonderful resource that deserves your perusal.

Imagine that someone asks you to have a long, serious discussion about writing. Imagine you care about this person. Imagine you are not feeling snide. Imagine you are not (very) drunk.

When you respond, you will invariably say "Show, don't tell," and "Write about what you...