Greetings, writers—
Is there an older, dustier piece of writing advice than write what you know?
Probably not, but then again it’s been around for eons for good reason. When you write what you know, you’re coming at your story/poem/novel/essay with the confidence of lived experience. You’ve got insight, understanding, and authenticity on your side. You don’t need to spend six months researching an unfamiliar subject and then six more months worrying about getting it wrong. Writing what you know is a confidence booster. You’re the expert on you.
But what if you want to write about murder? What if you want to write about a dragon battle or life in solitary confinement or what it’s like to grow old in Italy, or sing in the opera, or be a necromancer?
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