Write What You Know?

What Does ‘Write What You Know’ Mean?

In this week’s EPISODE (#22) of The Djuna Shellam Podcast, I share my experience and personal view of Write What You Know. I also explore what it really means.

When I first explored creative writing in college, I was told by my instructor to “write what you know.”

Mark Twain, curiously, said the same thing. Now that I think of it, she probably lifted it from him!

Nonetheless, something I’m sure was meant to help me and my fellow writers in the class actually crippled me for a long time. Why? Because I didn’t feel as if I knew anything. If I don’t know anything, then… what’s there for me to write about? Of course, looking back, I knew a lot of things, but at the time, I didn’t know what I knew.

But, more important than me thinking I knew nothing, was that I didn’t really understand the concept as it was presented to me. Was I to write a biography of sorts as my story? If so, who would want to read about my life? My life was boring!

Six plus decades of living on Earth’s realm has provided me with a lot of knowledge and experiences from which to draw in my writing. And, I’ve pretty much figured out the whole idea of “write what you know.” At least well enough for it to work for me.

Still, I wanted to get other perspectives on the subject and found two pretty good blog posts by writers. The first, Kristina Adams, wrote a piece for the WRITER’S COOKBOOK called, What Does ‘Write What You Know’ Actually Mean? She read my mind. Or, did I read hers? Confusing stuff…

I really liked what Adams wrote and she spoke to how I feel about the writing “rule”—from one perspective, anyway. Then, I found another blog post I actually enjoyed a lot. Maybe even more. In 2017, Kate Southwood contributed to LIT HUB and penned a piece called “Write What You Know” is Not Good Writing Advice. Ha! I love it! Yes, I loved Southwood’s post a lot.

“It’s reassuring to hear, and probably reassuring to say, but I believe it misdirects beginning writers and costs them time.”—Kate Southwood

Yes! That’s exactly what happened to me. So, in the end, both writers came at the question from different directions, and strangely the two posts together beautifully summed up my overall view. Well done, ladies! How did that happen? Kismet. I’m sure of it.

What do you think? Have you heard the saying before? If so, what were your feelings about it? If not, now what do you think? Be sure to leave your comment.

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