Is the advice “write what you know” valid? Yes, definitely. And no, not always.
It’s confusing advice!
Practical Knowledge
“Write what you know” makes sense when you’re ignorant in some area. For example, I know nothing about vampires, have never read a vampire book, can’t understand the whole vampire movie thing, and can’t for the life of me figure out why a blood-sucking boyfriend would be romantic. It’s just me.
This is the point though: I don’t know about vampires, and I have no business sitting down today to write a vampire novel. It would be so full of ridiculous ideas and mistakes that it would be laughable. I don’t care to look that foolish.
Use Yourself
On the other hand, says Ursula K. Le Guin in “Make your fiction truthful” (The Writer, July, 2010), “Write what you know doesn’t mean you have to know a lot. It just tells you to take what you have, take who you are, and use it. Don’t try to use secondhand feeling: use yourself.” So, does ”write what you know” mean “write exclusively about your personal experiences”?
No, I don’t think so. What you “know” can come from your personal experience–that’s true. But it also comes from other people’s experiences, from books you’ve read and movies that moved you, from research and travel–all blended together when you use your imagination.
The Best of Both Worlds
I believe in “write what you know,” but I’ve also had eleven mysteries published. I will swear to you that I’ve never stolen, kidnapped, set a place on fire, or blackmailed anyone, but I’ve written about it.
However, I made aspects of those stories familiar too. I set those mysteries in the midwest, where I lived all my life. Five are set in real places I’d visited many times. I used many people I knew for my characters. I developed themes that were coming true in my own life or my children’s lives. The character growth and change was real–and it was often me.
Get to Know Yourself
Le Guin says it this way: “If you take it in its deepest meaning, ‘write about what you know’ means write from your heart, from your own real being, your own thoughts and emotions…If you don’t know who you are and what you know, if you haven’t worked to find out what you yourself truly feel and think, then your work will probably be imitation work, borrowed from other writers.” (I hope you’ll get a copy of The Writer and read her entire article.)
You may not think you know much or have had enough interesting experiences, but you’d be wrong. If you have my Writer’s First Aid book, read the chapter on “Getting to Know You…” Take the lengthy survey about your life and
keep the information in a writer’s notebook.
The answers to that survey will unearth enough information about YOU to last you a writer’s lifetime.
Okay so, I just wanted to let you all know that TREI Literary Magazine is OFFICIALLY CALLING FOR SUBMISSIONS!
YAY!
doin' the jig of publication joy.......
Now I know you all know that I'm the Editor-in-Chief of TREI, so you're probably thinking of asking me here what the submission requirements are, right?
Well, I'm not telling.......you have to go over to
TREI's Myspace page and check out the blog, "CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS.....OMG! THIS IS SO GOING TO ROCK THIS JOINT!!!!!!!!!!" to find out.
After all, I don't like repeating repeating myself.....and besides, it's funnier this way.....
Anywho, after you're done here, take a little jaunty hop over to CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS.....OMG! THIS IS SO GOING TO ROCK THIS JOINT!!!!!!!!!!. And after you do that, if you're not already a friend, add TREI Literary Magazine to your list. I'm telling you, I would NEVER steer you wrong, would I?
No I would not. Why? Because I truly care for and love all my friends, and I want to see you all SOAR!
GINORMOUS HUGS and INFINTE THINGS TO COME:)
Cindy
First things first, there's a new banned books list over in the sidebar.
Second things second, I read a whole bunch of library books this weekend, so here we go:
After Hamelin Bill Richardson
It is a special day when you turn eleven. On their eleventh birthday, girls go too see Cuthbert, the hermit in the cave to learn of their gift.
But, on Penelope's eleventh birthday, she wakes up suddenly unable to hear. It is the only thing that saves her, for on Penelope's eleventh birthday, the Pied Piper returns and charms all of the children out of Hamelin.
Penelope must use her gift, the gift of deep dreaming to find and rescue her sister, her neighbors, and her friends.
A wonderful story with a gentle prose that captures you-- I found it very hard to put down. I especially liked the Tolavians that Penelope meets on her journey.
The story is told in the frame as Penelope turns 101 and is facing death, she looks back on her life, writing it down for the next generation. It's really well done.
Skulduggery Pleasant Derek Landy
One of the
Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults, Skulduggery is a detective. Of course, he's also a skeleton with a sharp sense of style who can hurl fireballs.
Stephanie is stunned to discover that she's inherited her uncle's house after his sudden death. She's even more stunned with people start attacking her in order to get a key. When Skulduggery rescues her, she demands to be his partner and learn the magic he knows.
It quickly becomes apparent that magic is real and under our feet, and that myth and legend might actually be fact. Of course, if Stephanie and Skulduggery can't figure this out fast enough, it'll be a moot point when the world is destroyed.
Hilarious and suspenseful, I loved Stephanie and Tanith (ok, I'm a fan of girls who know how to wield a sword.)
This is really well done urban fantasy. I also liked the illustrations on the first letter of each chapter. I can't wait for
Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire, which comes out at the end of April.
Ok, I was going to do more, but Blogger's going down soon, so it'll keep.
.jpeg?picon=2850)
.jpg?picon=1526)
