The value of experienced events
“War talk by men who have been in a war is always interesting; whereas moon talk by a poet who has not been in the moon is likely to be dull” Mark Twain/Samuel Clements
The golden rule is to write what you know, and any avid reader knows that to be true. Writers of fiction, especially fantasy or science fiction occasionally succumb to the idea that because the world is of their making they need do no research.
Nothing is further from the truth. I’ve already talked about world-building and the value of drawing upon history, and now I would like to address the issue of building the writer. The writer makes the story, and what he or she knows will come through much more clearly than what they have imagined or been told.
So it is incumbent upon a writer to seek out experience that will translate into descriptive text which will speak with authority. Writing scenes of violent combat? Get a baseball bat or an Army surplus machete for ten bucks, and go whack a tree with it (as with any undertaking, keep in mind that staying out of jail is worth that extra little bit of planning and consideration). Whack that tree trunk until the zombie, orc, or villain is defeated, then race over and whack another. Later when you describe the combat scene the descriptive text will flow like a river. If you do not own firearms, try paintball, especially milsim style. It can open your eyes.
Seek some of the experiences your hero has. Obviously you can’t have all, nor need to, but pick a few and try them. A friend who wrote action fiction had me handcuff him because that happened to his protagonist in his current work. He hadn’t intended to be left that way for an hour, but it was a valuable experience and one which will serve him well throughout his career.
Go hiking, preferably in the rain, snow, or heat; it will teach you what a mile really feels like. See if you can be part of a tour of your local jail or prison. Learn to throw a knife (its not easy, BTW). Work a punching bag. Get friends to chase you zombie-style, or just chase you as if with hostile intent (its different than just running). Explore abandoned buildings (as with any undertaking, keep in mind that staying out of jail is worth that extra little bit of planning and consideration), check out alleys and secluded areas in your area. A good writer can find color and description in anything and everything.
Experience is always valuable, no matter how trivial. To me walking along a creek in a chilly rain would bring forth thoughts of desperate battle on bad footing and the screams of the dying as they thrash on the muddy ground, while a writer of romances might see a happy couple running to shelter under a lovely tree.
Putting words on paper is just the mechanics; the best writers live first, and then write.
