Write What You Know

They say your novels should center around situations and other stuff you know well. I agree with that for the most part. Ever Locked takes place in Austin and Dallas, the two places I lived until I was 26 years old.

Also, there always seems to be a lawyer in all my books, or a legal situation. My husband's a corporate lawyer and used to be a litigator at a big Dallas firm. I know that stuff well.

Sometimes there's a corporation, business deals and that kind of thing. Also a gift from my husband's well of knowledge.

In one of my novels, I'll have a professional ballerina - knowledge courtesy of my oldest daughter. In fact, Iris was a ballerina in high school. That makes for a very sheltered, sub-culture-life that I know well, which explains her inexperience with relationships.

I've had football player children, my husband played baseball in college, my daughter was a competition gymnast. I have an extensive science and history background. My dad was an Texas oil man and a country boy. My mother is Hispanic, went to NYU and Harvard and is a retired school principal/administrator. I have a lot of training and knowledge in psychology and life coaching, as well as personal training (from being a certified personal trainer and by by being trained). My husband is the lawyer for an MLM.  I'm a homeschooler.

So, there'r a few things to draw from.

Obviously, as with every person on earth, I've experienced a lot of heartache and pain. Hardships, hurts, bad decisions, regrets, walked through the cancer road personally and with parents, one who died a few years ago. Much of that finds its way into my books.

But, another fun aspect of writing novels is researching things you don't know as much about, reading, interviewing people, watching movies and reading books. For example, Castle is going to be a super blackjack player. I'm not knowledgeable in that. But it'll be fun to find out.

If you write, or want to write, or just love to read, what are the things about which you have some special knowledge?