Write what you know

I’ve heard and read a lot of writing advice over the years. One of them always stuck with me for all the wrong reasons: write what you know.I must admit I balked against this piece of advice. Surely only writing what I know wouldn’t be exercising my imagination? How could I write convincing fantasy settings and characters if I was only writing what I knew?It took me a long time to realise I was taking the statement too literally.