Write what you know?

[Kevin]

All my life, I've been told that writers should write what they know. But is that really good advice? What if you don't know a lot? Or what if you know a lot about something most would rather not know about?

[Library Lady 📚]

I wrote a blog about this a while back. It's strange advice. After all, if we only wrote what we knew, no one would research. Or write fantasy. Or lots of other genres. In general, books would be much more dull.

[J.S.]

I don't really follow this advice so much. I figure, if I have an idea I can learn what I need to know for it. Where would fantasy and sci-fi be if folk stuck to the realities of their worlds? And imagine how messed up authors of horror and the like must be if they went with what they knew :p

[Jennifer]

I'm pretty sure Horror authors are messed up. But in a good way that everyone wishes they were:)

[Kevin]

I'm glad I'm not alone! :-D

What really annoys me are stories about writers. Writers are certainly writing what they know when they write about writers. But with few exceptions, that gets old real quick.

[Lily]

Good topic! It's one I've broached many times. I often write stories in unfamiliar settings because I find doing so triggers my imagination the best. If I were to set a story in, say, my backyard, I would be bored to tears and wouldn't bother finishing the story.

"Writing what you know" is a fundamental principle that should be applied no matter what. The trick is, you don't have to take the phrase literally.

I do A LOT of research when I prepare for a story (for human stories anyway). I'm downright anal about it. Online research, wikipedia, blogs, various websites, youtube videos, google images, anything and everything I can find.

About 50% of my book purchases is non-fiction for my research. I collect everything. Also, last but certainly not least, I talk to people. If I have a friend who, say, spent a year in China, I'll interview them and ask a lot of questions. (I haven't set any stories in China... yet).

So, as a result of all my research, the information becomes what I know, and I write what I know.

An old school belief is you should only write what you literally know. But, that belief was created long before we had the kind of information available to us now, and also before we could talk to people from around the world. The rules have changed, writers have evolved, and now writing what you know doesn't have to be literal.

I keep in mind the following: Fiction doesn't have to be possible, it just has to be plausible.

[K.P.]

I was told to write what you know. and if you don't know, research. best advice ever :)

The way I go about it, is if you set up certain things to work in your world, DO NOT BREAK IT. I was annoyed with Meyers breaking her rules (her sparkly vamps can't procreate. then WTF is that hellspawn clawing its way out of bella?!)

It's hard for me to escape in books these days because I'm too technical. Depending on what I'm reading, like fantasy or science fiction, if the tech isn't right, I can't fully enjoy the book. Sometimes I can gloss over and get into the adventure side. But some tropes make me dump the book (like if someone can time travel with mental powers alone).

In the fantasy I write, the magic is based on something (metaphysics, wu xing, alchemy, etc) depending on what it is. As for science fiction, I hit the books and research whatever I'm covering. For example, I researched a lot about aerodynamics, the effects of space, various weaponry, etc (due to flying super powers and aliens, space travel, and lots of military grade weapons). Though it's somewhat pulpy/campy, my science for the most part is right. It's still an adventure story so folks will have fun with it.

However, I've been overly anylitical and will get into deep discussions about shows I'm watching or books I'm reading. I annoy my few friends and my mother to no end when I'm yelling at the telly about something not being technically viable because of 'X' or some book I just finished reading. I know MacGuyver's improbable. But some of the other stuff, come on...

[Library Lady 📚]

Kevin wrote: "I'm glad I'm not alone! :-D

What really annoys me are stories about writers. Writers are certainly writing what they know when they write about writers. But with few exceptions, that gets old real..."

It's surprising how many books I read where a character is a write. Sometimes it's the MC, or a sibling, parent, etc. I have the same reaction.

[Kevin]

You're right, Lily -- what you learn, you do know, and so....

I think it was Gore Vidal who said (paraphrasing), "Writing what you know is excellent advice for people who shouldn't write at all. Write what you think, suspect, imagine."

And now I have to go to bed. It's 2 A.M. in the Balkans. Thanks for the lively discussions tonight :-)

[Lily]

Ah, that's even better advice and an excellent quote. I'll have to remember that one :) Night!

[Wren]

When it comes to facts, I have to agree with Lily. Once you research something, you know it. When it comes to emotions, it's more difficult, but then again, if we can't imagine how others would feel, how can we write?

The other day, though, I saw a post about the fact that many writers make their MCs come from similar cultures as themselves. I think that one reason is because that's what they know. They can realistically portray the character's environment and reactions to situations. You can research a culture and try to find out as much as you can, but there are always subtle details that you might not catch unless you've immersed yourself in it.

[Lily]

Completely agree. Conversely, I've read books where it's painfully obvious the author has no idea what they're talking about and have characters from all sorts of cultures. And it just falls apart.

I find it's the nuances that's most important. When I interview people, I'm watching, observing everything, and trying not to be too creepy about it :)

Maybe studying is a better word than researching.

[[deleted user]]

http://bigthink.com/think-tank/write-...

[Lily]

Huh! Great article and ironic for me. A friend of mine, when we were talking about writing, tried to convince me that what I do is the same as what's done for method acting. I didn't quite believe him. I owe him a phone call...

[Thomas]

I have to say yes, and no. Writing what you know makes logical sense, but don't let it hold you back.

I write what I know, but when I need to incorporate what I don't know, I do enough research for it to be convincing. Doesn't mean I know it by heart, just that I looked it up and after using it might retain a little bit of it.

So by the time you're writing it, you at least know a little bit, but do you really know it?

[Lily]

I do, because when I research or study I experience the subject matter, and it becomes second nature to me. If I only just looked things up, I would write crap.

[Virginia]

I think the more important rule is to recognise and acknowledge what you don't know from Adam.

I have aspergers, three members of my family are on the autistic spectrum, and I have read everything from medical textbooks to memoirs. I can recognise when someone doesn't know what they're talking about.

I've read good and bad representations. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a really good example. They did their research and everything from the storytelling to the punctuation and font choices reflects this. On the other hand, when a friend of mine asked me to beta read a book he was writing with an autistic MC is was obvious he hadn't bothered. It conformed to every stupid stereotype about differently abled people and it seemed like he'd gotten autism and downs syndrome confused.

Respect people by doing research. It pays off.

[Lily]

Sadly, that kind of thing happens all the time, when we all know better.

Sometime a writer will push their own hidden agenda, politics, bias, sterotypes, all kinds stuff that just doesn't belong. I've often found it's the simple case where the author doesn't want to learn something new, and just wants to feel safe in their own BS ignorance. Sad.

That' the thing. It's not enough to just look things up. It's not enough to research or even study for years. You have to want to learn something new.

When I was doing research for my thriller that's set in Tennessee, I would often come across new information that would surprise me. I just didn't know, so I learned, and made adjustments in my notes or outlines to reflect more accurate information. For me, it's a wonderful experience.


Whenever I've tried to explain this in other writer groups I've participated in, the idea was rejected, and I would be shut down. The members of these groups were actually offended at the suggestion they don't already know everything, and I encountered a few who were verbally abusive, demanding that everyone should remain ignorant and repeat safe sterotypes, biases, and horrible cliches. I find it sad when anyone considers ignorance is playing it safe. They have no idea what they're missing.

[Virginia]

What's really sad is that these misinformed books might be read by people who don't know better and taken as fact. Especially when it's a childrens'/YA book. :-(

[Yzabel]

Kevin wrote: "All my life, I've been told that writers should write what they know. But is that really good advice? What if you don't know a lot? Or what if you know a lot about something most would rather not k..."

I'm with Lily on that one. "Write what you know" is boring. If I had to write what I knew, I'd only write stories about 35-something teachers with a midlife crisis looming on the horizon. Yeah, I so want to do my job AND get to write about it on top of it.

"RESEARCH and then you know and THEN you can write what you know" is the way I've always understood this piece of advice.

And if really you don't know because it doesn't exist (fantasy...), make up rules as a skeleton to work with, and work with that.

[Yzabel]

Lily wrote: "Whenever I've tried to explain this in other writer groups I've participated in, the idea was rejected, and I would be shut down. The members of these groups were actually offended at the suggestion they don't already know everything, and I encountered a few who were verbally abusive, demanding that everyone should remain ignorant and repeat safe sterotypes, biases, and horrible cliches. I find it sad when anyone considers ignorance is playing it safe. They have no idea what they're missing."

Wow. Must've been such a rich, engrossing, positively-challenging ride.
I hope you've found better writing groups since then. (Here? Here? *wiggles eyebrows*)

[K.P.]

Lily wrote: "Whenever I've tried to explain this in other writer groups I've participated in, the idea was rejected, and I would be shut down. The members of these groups were actually offended at the suggestion they don't already know everything, and I encountered a few who were verbally abusive, demanding that everyone should remain ignorant and repeat safe sterotypes, biases, and horrible cliches. I find it sad when anyone considers ignorance is playing it safe. They have no idea what they're missing."

Dayum those folks were idiots. I shudder at the mere thought. I totally feels on that one and left several writers groups that were like that. This group seems sane so you shouldn't be too worried, eh? ^_^

I love studying new stuff, even being up all night with the pot going, pouring over books and accuring more fines from the lib. if i can't go balls out on research and put my foot in it, I'm not writing about it. that's just me. i have to have enough accuracy to even think about using it in my next book. some of my stuff took years because i had a good idea but scant research to go on.

[Anne]

Research. Lots of research. Personally, I think that's half the fun of writing. The amount of knowledge you can find on the internet is amazing. Honestly, I think I walk away having learned much more than the paragraph of facts I've written on any particular scene. As a writer, I think this helps with character development and world building. It makes for a more believable story.

[Stuart]

I think writing what you know is key to begin with but you eventually have to move into the unknown or you may never develop as a writer.

I write horror and suspense and I can conjure up a horror twist on any common scenario (I love doing this, it's also great for the reader) but eventually, you have to go a bit further afield otherwise you can become stagnant or run the risk of repetition.

I've started writing a crime thriller. It's taking books of research and hours of internet surfing. Not because I'm unfamiliar with the genre but because there's so much you can get wrong in that genre like police procedure, gun ballistics etc. I know some writers make stuff up but I'm a stickler for detail so even though I know the genre, I find myself researching it more anyway.

As Anne mentioned above, lots of research. You can never know enough about something when you're a writer and it makes for a more realistic, believable story if you're prepared as such.

[Lily]

Yzabel, yeah, I was so enlightened *heavy sarcasm* Truth be told, it was part of why I was hestitant to take on the moderator role. Bad experiences. But this is a good group :)

KP, nah we're crazy lol

Anne, I love research, it's tons of fun for me. Not everyone feels the same...

Stuart, this sums everything up beautiful:

"I think writing what you know is key to begin with but you eventually have to move into the unknown or you may never develop as a writer."

I love that :)

[Stuart]

Thanks, Lily. : )

I enjoy writing what I know (horror, what's not to love) but if I was stuck writing that forever, I think I'd grow tired of it. The unknown intrigues me so having a will to explore it is normal for me.

[Lily]

I feel the same!

[Chad]

My Totem novel has teacher in it and a librarian, both positions I have held. I know what it's like to be those people, so writing them is fun. However, I also have characters who are Native Americans coming from the past. I have no idea what it's like to be them from their culture, so I have to read and research and interview and learn what I don't know. That, also, is fun, but also enriching.

[Yolanda]

I think write what you love, and then do the researach, you learn so much.

[Michael]

A teacher had told me that in high school. It was a bit of a slap in the face for me, since the prompt was to write in the shoes of a soldier in the Civil War. Not only did I get accused of taking it off the internet, but once he decided I hadn't he quickly pointed out that I didn't know how they lived. Well, yeahhhhh. I wasn't born then. What he was telling me what that I shouldn't write about an artist, or an assassin, or a captain of a ship.
The point i'm trying to make is that for me, writing has always been about exploring things you don't know. Then the trick is to incorporate it with what you do know. That's how I've always seen writing. It's why I always enjoyed writing.
I research, I learn new things, and I want to know more.

[K.P.]

Anne wrote: "Research. Lots of research. Personally, I think that's half the fun of writing. The amount of knowledge you can find on the internet is amazing. Honestly, I think I walk away having learned much more than the paragraph of facts I've written on any particular scene. As a writer, I think this helps with character development and world building. It makes for a more believable story."

right on!!

[Lily]

I suspect, for many authors who actually get somewhere, they all have the same thing n common. They wanted to know in the first place, so that's what they wrote.

Of course, getting somewhere could mean anything from having 5 fans to making a million dollars.

[K.P.]

Lily wrote: "Of course, getting somewhere could mean anything from having 5 fans to making a million dollars...."

I'd be more then happy if folks read my books. I'm used to being poor, so suddenly making money off my work would be hella surprising. i'd be like wut???

[Lily]

K.P. wrote: "Lily wrote: "Of course, getting somewhere could mean anything from having 5 fans to making a million dollars...."

I'd be more then happy if folks read my books. I'm used to being poor, so suddenly..."

I'm in a similar situation. If I got an extra 50 backs, it would make my lifetime.

I'm just happy to share stories that others will read :)

[Virginia]

I'm living on £50 a week at the moment, so I know what you mean.

[Lily]

It sucks, but we all do what we can :)

[Brian]

Anne wrote: "Research. Lots of research. Personally, I think that's half the fun of writing. The amount of knowledge you can find on the internet is amazing. Honestly, I think I walk away having learned much mo..."

I'm with Anne. A book I have been working on for awhile was based a lot on what I knew, but I've begun to update it to include some minor technical changes that could be part of the very near future (apparently the pager isn't going to make it).

A little novelette that I stumbled into required all kinds of research (apparently when people cook they use more than one ingredient). I love to learn. The never ending "Why" is always in my head and is what I finally get to release into books for others to ask the same. Well, release into books and hope for others to buy, and then ask the same...

[Lily]

The "why" question is fantastic for that initial spark, and if that spark can be carried through until the ending, even better.

I've learned, though, that the question which enables me to finish a whole story is "how." And it's the "how" that takes a crapload of research. I find it's not nearly enough to know "why." I need to answer "how" for everything.

[Yzabel]

Michael wrote: "A teacher had told me that in high school. It was a bit of a slap in the face for me, since the prompt was to write in the shoes of a soldier in the Civil War. Not only did I get accused of taking ..."

Just to know, what kind of teacher gives such a prompt, and then proceeds to blame the students for writing "stuff you don't know, so you looked it up on the 'net"? That's just asinine. o_O (Or did I misunderstand, and the prompt had nothing to do with the class... but then, why was a teacher involved?)

[Lily]

Yzabel wrote: "Michael wrote: "A teacher had told me that in high school. It was a bit of a slap in the face for me, since the prompt was to write in the shoes of a soldier in the Civil War. Not only did I get ac..."

Insecure teachers who don't want students to outshine them. I've had a few myself. No *whack* you're to be a brainwashed robot like all the other students!

[Michael]

A teacher that cares more for students in sports than those wanting to learn. Actually the guy had it out for me. I attract assholes, been that way all my life lol. Tried getting me in trouble for being silent but that's another story.

I just don't take the "write what you know" seriously. Not after that at least. I rather hear advice that says something like, "explore what you don't know." Or something.

[Lily]

Oh, sounds like my high school. It was total jock school lol

Well, as I've said on this thread "write what you know" isn't literal. Anyone who's determined to take it literally, doesn't have any experience or knows what they're talking about. It's hypocrisy in a way. Beating anyone over the head with literally "write what you" is admitting they don't know a damn thing.

[Michael]

Yep sounds like my Minnesotan school Lol

Yeah that's something I learned that week. So I guess I should thank the sob >.>
I'll admit though, half the time I'm talking out my ass Lol. But I at least strive to understand things a bit more like the "write what you know" took me a month to take it in a broader meaning. Love this thread makes me think lol

[Lily]

:D

Another thought occured to me. Experience. So many latest books, I've found, will have a recurring theme where it's just so painfully obvious the author randomly memorized a few words from a wikipedia article. It's the one aspect of the internet which has become a bad influence. It's superficial. It's not enough to acquire knowledge, or understand it, it's important to take that leap into the unknown and experience the knowledge.

I have no idea what it's like to be a cop. But if I wrote a story where the main character is a cop, I would take the time to do a lot of research until I can imagine myself in a cop's shoes well enough to write about it. That's writing what you know.

[Michael]

The onrle thing that gets me about experience is they can do all the research they want and need, and put it to good use. But they still choose to stereotype the character.

I read a book a while back that had a druggie. Cardboard cutout of a crackhead looking for a fix. They had the terminology right and everything even down to the effects on moods. But the guy was just a guy with a drug problem attached to make him seem deeper.
Stuff like that kinda bugs me, knowing how much thought was put into knowing the facts

[Yzabel]

Lily wrote: "Insecure teachers who don't want students to outshine them. I've had a few myself. No *whack* you're to be a brainwashed robot like all the other students!"

It's not even insecurity at this point, it's just... plain dumb. It'd be like giving my pupils an essay to write in French... but I'm a teacher of English and so I'll remove points because they wrote it in French. That's how little sense it makes to me.

[Lily]

Michael wrote: "The onrle thing that gets me about experience is they can do all the research they want and need, and put it to good use. But they still choose to stereotype the character.

I read a book a while b..."

I know what you mean, it bugs me too.

[Lily]

Yzabel wrote: "Lily wrote: "Insecure teachers who don't want students to outshine them. I've had a few myself. No *whack* you're to be a brainwashed robot like all the other students!"

It's not even insecurity a..."

Sad, isn't it? It's been going on a long time in the Western Culture. And people wonder why the rest of the world sees this continent as dumb...

[Sara]

I feel statements like "Write what you know" comes from the same place as making your story "relatable". The reality is no one really understands what that means. I wrote a play for a class based on my friends. When they read it they knew exactly who each character was based on. My teacher told me it was unrealistic. Well it was to him but not to the audience I was writing for. I didn't understand it at that time but as I have grown as a writer and reader, I realize that the reader wants you to write for them. So if you have a reader who tells you that it's unrealistic or unrelatable as a whole - it might be that the story doesn't connect to them. Instead of seeing it as a poor fit, they accuse you of not writing something worth reading. Unfortunately we spend too much time trying to please those we can please instead of just looking for someone else to read our stories.

[K.P.]

Sara wrote: "I feel statements like "Write what you know" comes from the same place as making your story "relatable". The reality is no one really understands what that means. I wrote a play for a class based..."

I had that happen to me a lot. in HS had to write a paper about our summer. My summer had crazy weird stuff happen to me and my sister the one year we hung out together. the teacher thought i lied and made it up (as no two punk teenagers would have something that AWESOME happen to them). He knew I read a lot, so he assumed I waited until the last minute and pulled it out my butt. So I made up the most stereotypical load of crap about a boring summer (I went to the library. I got some rare flavor ice cream. boring blah). He accepted it. I was crushed. I figured from then on, my weird tales based on my weird life and weird dreams wasn't worth telling and folks want boring mainstream crap.

Lily wrote: "Another thought occured to me. Experience. So many latest books, I've found, will have a recurring theme where it's just so painfully obvious the author randomly memorized a few words from a wi..."

OMG I hate that! it's like the author hadn't the time to actually expiereince the character he's trying to write (not that i would recommend it!) but actually push the boundaries of their imagination and essentially *feel* and sense these things.

when i wrote ( it's a historical fantasy loosely based in around sengoku-jidai era Japan), I did so much research and put so much money into it to make it sound 'right'. I think I did a decent job, as my Japanese friends thought I was writing under a British or American psudonym and assumed me to be Japanese. I figured 'success!'