Write What You Know?

You hear successful fiction writers say it again and again: write what you know. But if writing what you know is your key to fiction that sells, then why are the sci-fi and fantasy genres so successful, while few publishers are interested in memoirs unless you’re famous? Obviously, a book about vampires or unicorns isn’t real. Well, here’s my take on the “write what you know” conflict, and it boils down to a single idea:

Write what you know, but don’t write your story.

At the end of the day, few people have a life interesting enough to sell memoirs or autobiographies. I’m not saying that you can’t find success that way; many have. In general, though, publishers don’t want to see hundreds of book proposals about your battle with an illness or your grandmother’s “extraordinary” life. They’re a dime a dozen. So, what else do I mean by “write what you know”?

How can you write what you know without looking in the mirror and writing exactly what you see? Image: sxc.hu

• Write about a topic that interests you.

This seems like a no-brainer, but many writers write for a market, not for personal pleasure. They try to write in the genre or niche that is popular right now, and while this may mean that the book is more likely to be picked up by a publisher, it isn’t a topic that you’ll be able to write well, in most cases. An example: your protagonist is a lawyer-turned-detective, but you personally don’t enjoy reading crime novels and have no interest in law. That’s not your passion, so why don’t you consider a protagonist that is more interesting to you, even if crime novels are generally good sellers?

• Add pieces of your life to the plot.
  

You don’t have to write your life story to write what you know. Let’s say that your parents went through a tough divorce when you were a kid. Maybe a story about your feelings during this time period isn’t exactly interesting to anyone other than you, but why not give one of your characters similar experiences, which shape decisions he or she makes during the story? Mix and match – maybe one character had a childhood similar to your own, while another character has your profession, while still another character is married to a man/woman who is a lot like your spouse.

• Add details that are “expert.”
  

Everyone is an expert about something. What are you hobbies? If one of your character has a similar hobby, you can add details that really create a believable, interesting story. For example, maybe you enjoy skiing. Pepper a few skiing terms into your writing to show that you really know your stuff.

If you really do think your life story would make an interesting novel if you fictionalize it a bit, please, by all means, write it! I just want to caution you about being too close to your story. One person’s amazing experiences can seem uninteresting to another person, and it can be deflating to be rejected again and again after you’ve written about your own life. Consider instead taking a new approach to the “write what you know” advice, by following my tips…and the tips of others writers in the comments below.

That’s your cue – give us some tips that have helped you add a personal touch to fiction without writing a memoir or autobiography.