Young Writers Society

Is it important to write about what you know, or can you take a leap sometimes and write something alilen to you? How much of a leap is good?

If you only write what you know, stuff will most likely be pretty boring; unless you're writing non fiction, you have to make some stuff up. And unless each character is a little clone of you, you have to open yourself up to the way other people think. And really, don't many people write to discover and learn about other things? You can experience new things through writing almost to the extent that you can if you actually get out there and do it. And experiencing things through writing about them is sometimes more preferable than doing it, depending on what you're writing about. I mean, you don't want to go out and shoot someone just so you can write about it...

I think this quote is taken very much out of context. If you write only about things you know to be a fact, then fiction would be non-existant. What I believe the quote to be stating is that you should not write about things you have not researched. If you've never sailed on a yacht (or at least researched its intricacies) then you would sound like an idiot while trying to sound professional.

This also sort of applies to genres. You'd never catch me writing a romance (thank God) as I have never read one or would not even know where to begin. Those who are terrible at science fiction because they don't know anything about technology should stay away from it. Now there is no reason why you can't research the genre and its aspects if you really desire to write that type of story. But just to start off without any prior knowledge in the area is a very bad idea. The reader, who is likely to know something about what they are reading, will know instantly that you are completely ignorant about the topic at hand.

In its best light, it means write what you can imagine, feel, see--it shouldn't be relegated to the concrete.

Almost everyone has been betrayed, one way or another. If it's a prince in some foreign land watching his friend open the capital's gates to enemies, or if it's the kid you knew since you were six mocking you behind your back--very little difference in feeling.

If you can experience it on one way, you can write it. Half the time, (as Trident notes somewhat) the research or the reading of something can give you enough nearness.

If it means write about the commonplace dullness of university dorms; of dead-end jobs or who-knows-what...oy, then, it's taken well out of context.

I don't think he means just fiction. I think that he means like researching about something you don't know about and actually finding out about it so that you can then write about it???
Yeah, is that it?
In that case you could read up about Anorexia and then have a character in your novel who suffers from it.
X but I suppose if you don't know about it enough it doesn't really work X
lexy

I think it IS important to mostly write what you know-- but let me clarify.
I write fantasy. When I began, I didn't know a thing about sword-fighting, archery, riding horses, cleaning wounds, etc. If I'd just written about them without knowing anything, the story would seem fake. (Details can be a tricky things, too. Snoink is currently instructing me in the problem of hypothermia.)
I think it's important, especially in fantasy/sci-fi, not necessarily to write what you know, but to know what you write. It helps make the story come alive.

I think the saying should be reversed: rather than saying "write what you know" it should say "know what you write".

It does help things to have already experienced what you are writing about, but for some of us, it isn't a possiblity. I will never be a mage serving onboard a boat in the middle of an ocean.

However, things can be researched and you can form a picture in your mind of what you are trying to write about. As long as you have that picture, and you're working to make it a believeable picture, you're fine.

Shafter has a great revision of the ever-used quote.

Don't write what you know, know what you write.

It's probably been said before, but Shafter really nailed it into my head. Of course, I'm going to be doing revising on my NaNo novel and it will most certainly include things like ... I don't know. Sword fighting. Maybe removing the eye to keep it in tact. I don't know.

I love researching for things I want to write about. I knew nothing about palaeography until I read up about it.

Also a scene I wanted to get right involved being in the rain during the dark so I spent a couple of nights outside while it rained and knew exactly how to get the characters to be realistic and feel the cold. Maybe I'm crazy or take things a little too far.

I hate that saying...just because it implies to most beginning writers that you should ONLY write about things that you know. I think anyone who wants to be a writer should write about whatever they want. The saying should not be "write what you know"; it should be "write what fits YOU best."

I agree with Shafter too.

But I also think it's more like, draw what you see, say what you know, do what you feel and write a mix of all three.

It's your writing, as long as your not putting something you know minimal information about, go with it.

*sigh*

i hate this quote. it's always taken the wrong way. i agree, though, that it should be 'know what you write'.

'know what you write' sounds so much better!

I disagree with 'write what you know' because then they also tell you 'real life doesn't make fiction' or something along those lines.

I write what I know when it comes to emotions, and personal situations. And even then I can be loose, there are some things that you can write about and still comprehend the feelings that would result. Put yourself in the situation, it works out.

But as for the actual story? Maybe there you should write what you know. If I wanted to write a story about a brick layer, it wouldn't come out very well because I know nothing about brick laying.

Which is where 'know what you write' comes in

At one time I was writing a realistic fiction story about a 22-year-old Even though at the time I was 15. I mentioned it to someone on another forum and they replied with, "You should write what you know," and also with the assumption that it wouldn't come out good. (I've decided to wait until I was twenty ish to actually finish that story ) It always irritated me,though, that the person assumed it would come out bad because it was being written by a teenager. I'm a very mature teenager! So I've always had a thing against 'write what you know'

If you only write what you know, stuff will most likely be pretty boring.

I tend to disagree. In order to protray and create something realistic, the writer has to have some basic concept of the subject, no matter the genre.

Certaintly, the degree of knowledge will vary as someone pointed out such as Non-Fiction but even Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Comedy, Etc.; they all require a concept, a common ground from the writer in understanding.

For instance, let's take Action and Adventure for an example. The scene is the classic showdown with a sword fight - let's say in Japan, so the swords are Katanas. The style of Japanese fighting using swords is called Kendo, and the fighting style is very much different versus, say, Fencing. To properally and accurately protray a Kendo fight, research is required and of course maybe having basic knowledge of knives in general might help the writer feel more confident in writing the scene.

As for me, I've always been taught, "Write what you know, and not flap your gums..." And I've stuck to that advice for years. In my novel, there are many examples where I've written, "What I know." For an example, in the story, there's a scene where the father is teaching his son self defense but melee style and he teaches his son also to defend himself just by using his hands and legs. Mixed Martial Arts hs always been a strong interest of mine and thus, I sqeezed examples into the 18th Century, LOL! No one would notice otherwise, unless they are famlier with movements I've described.

Ah, now I see. I was wondering where Welcome had learnt all his skills (that's who you were talking about, right?) and didn't know what to comment on that part so I skipped it for later.