Monday Writing Methods - What to Write

There’s an old saying among fiction writers: “write what you know.” Writers often rely upon their own experiences to add richness and detail to their scenes.

But what if you don’t know anything about the genre in which you’ve chosen to write? After all how many of us have had a romantic relationship with a vampire or commanded the crew of a pirate ship? Must we avoid writing romantic suspense because we’ve never robbed or murdered or kidnapped? Must we give up on fantasy romance because we’ve never actually talked to a fairy?

Writers are imaginative people. Look at the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. They imagined things from far beyond their times. Read FRANKENSTEIN, OR THE MODERN PROMETHEUS. What did Mary Shelley know of creating life from dead body parts?

And what we can’t imagine, we can research. The internet is a great place to start, but writers shouldn’t forget about libraries, video documentaries, and subject matter experts. Read. Question. Discuss. If you need to know what the procedure is to book a suspect into the county jail, talk to a cop. If you need to know what the Tasmanian Devils at the zoo eat, talk to someone who works at the zoo. Most people are more than willing to share their knowledge with writers.

Finally meet with other writers who might have the knowledge that you need. They may be able to refer you to their own go-to folks for information. And then take the information you’ve received and turn it into the best story you can write.