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Writing What You Know, Or Writing to Grow (Revised)
Use the Writing Advice that Works for You
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” —Louis L’Amour
A Quora user asked the following question:
“What was the worst writing advice you have ever been given?”
I will focus on a very common piece of advice, something that works for some but not everyone.
Therefore, if writers only wrote what they knew, some great literature would not exist, such as Narnia, Harry Potter, Twilight, etc. (much to my nieces’ horror)
Perhaps writing to grow is more helpful than writing what we know. Likewise, write what you would want to read. If science fiction bores you to sleep, that probably isn’t where you should focus, regardless of how popular or trending the topic may be.
Toni Morrison said it well: “If there’s a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you need to write it.” -Toni Morrison
I would also say don’t be afraid to write what scares you a little bit, step outside of your comfort zone. That doesn’t mean you have to write about a subject you dislike. I mean take your writing in a new direction.
