Write what you know:
You’ve all no doubt heard that old saying just “write what
you know” to be a successful writer. I find this saying a little misleading if
we all wrote about only what we know or what our experiences have been then we
wouldn’t have fantasy novels about magic, elves and other magical creatures or
science fiction novels about other planets or other times and space. And I
would assume there would be no murder mysteries or very few anyway. To me, this
saying is not a literal one. It does not literally mean write only about what
you know or what you have experienced. On the contrary, what it means is write
about the feelings or the experiences you have had but change them, use them as
inspiration for a story. It is okay to draw on real life experiences but change
the details to match the story. In fact, I believe most authors do this. I
definitely used this skill while writing my series Elven Quest.
In the first book The Burden of Destiny we meet the main
character Isobel who is a fourteen year old that lives in a small village. Her
father owns and runs a farm and her mother has past away so she takes on the
role of the woman in the house cooking, cleaning, helping to take care of the
farm and take care of her father. Since it is just the two of them and has been
since she was very small she has a close relationship with her father. He can
be a stern, no nonsense father at times, but they enjoy their time together too
and he loves Isobel very much. But Isobel always feels a little bit different
from her father and from the other villagers. While they all seem happy and
satisfied with their lives and their simple way of life, she often feels bored
and out of place. For myself, I can remember growing up in a small town. I
remembered how I felt during those years, the things that I liked about it and
the things I did not like. I never lived on a farm but I did live a country
life and did do some manual labor so I could relate to Isobel on that score.
Luckily, my mother is alive and well and I grew up with two parents not one,
but I can relate to the fact that Isobel has a close relationship with her
parent. I had and still have, very close relationships with both of my parents.
(A couple of examples of what I imagine Isobel's cabin to look like)
I am sure every pre-teen or teen at some time feels that
they are different than their friends and relatives. I can remember feeling
that way at times. I can remember thinking, “no one can possibly understand how
I feel, I am so different from everyone else.” I probably was no different but
at that time, my feelings were very strong. In Isobel’s case some of her
feelings were her age but some were due to the fact that she is different,
(spoiler alert if you haven’t read the book.) Isobel finds out that she is half
elven. That is why she feels different than her human friends and has abilities
that they do not have. As you can see, while writing the story I tried to
remember how I felt at that time in my life and translated that into the story,
obviously with some differences added to it.
One of my favorite parts of the first novel and the part
that was probably the easiest for me to write because I was very much drawing
on my own feelings and memories was the part when Isobel leaves home. When she
actually leaves her small cozy farm and her comfortable village that she knows
so well and when she finally has to say goodbye to those she loves. I went
through all of that myself when I got married, (which I did young at 23,) and
then immediately had to move away to be with my husband who was in the
military. When all of that happened I can remember very well the feelings that
I felt of sadness at knowing that I was leaving my childhood home behind. I
also felt excited to see new places and experience new things. I also felt a
huge sense of doubt. I worried that I would not be able to make a good life for
myself or be successful. I worried that people would forget me or that I would
lose my close relationship with my parents and siblings. Isobel feels all of
these things and for her there is an added sense of danger and the knowledge
that her journey is part of her destiny, it is something she must do. In a way,
I guess my journey was similar. It was something that I was destined to do,
(luckily for me I didn’t have to battle scary Carachi on mine.) 😊
(Some examples of what I imagine Isobel's land to look like, these were taken at a friend's land in VT.)
Anyway, I feel like if you understand the old saying, “write
what you know” then it can be very useful to remember. For myself it was very
rewarding to think back to a time in my life when things were changing or when
I felt out of place and use those memories and feelings to describe what my
main character was going through. Although every character in my novel has tiny
pieces of me in them, I know that Isobel is like a shadow version of my old
self. So when writing, do not be afraid to be honest with yourself about
feelings you have had or memories from your past and use those things as
inspiration for your story. I hope this works for you dear readers. Until next
time remember, writing=happiness ;)
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