Ignore "write what you know" - I say write whatever you want.
"Write what you know" is the worst piece of advice ever. Yeah, if you're going to write about - well - anything, do your research. But never be put off by the thought: "I can't write about this because I've never experienced it." If we all thought like this, then innovation would never exist. We would still be living like the cavemen.
On paper, I have no relation to The Falling Sun. I am not from the same country as the characters. I was never incarcerated. I haven't worked on a farm. But what I do have is a keen interest in the story and a vivid imagination. This is the same for acting. Just because someone says you can't relate to the role, doesn't mean you can't perform it. It's ACTING. This is WRITING.
We write because we enjoy it. (If you do it thinking you'll get rich, I wish you the best of luck, my friend.) We write because we want to put a smile on someone's face. We write to make them feel something. We write - most of all - for ourselves.
Do EXACTLY that. Write for you.
That's this writing tip: Write whatever you want.
Yeah, you'll probably have a niche audience. Yeah, it will be hard to publish. But you'll also have a manuscript to be proud of. And people - your audience - might just surprise you.
When I wrote and directed The Forest of Nimrinor at the University of York, I realised that the play was niche, brash, elaborate - it was VERY ME. But you know what? It was other people, too. And that's the best feeling. Writing something so WEIRD and PERSONAL - and then finding that people invest in it as much as you do.
That's why we write.
So, get that pen or keypad and write the WEIRDEST, most ENJOYABLE, and PERSONAL novel you can.
Comments