write what you know.
An author I’m slightly familiar with recently asked a question on her blog - What writing advice would you give a would-be or wanna-be writer?
My advice is, and will always be, write what you know.
Does that mean you can’t use your imagination and set a story in the past, the future or in a galaxy far, far away? Or that your character can’t be a ghost, a vampire, a demon filled with self-loathing? Of course not.
Cheap Thrills, my favorite album and cover.
What it means is this - at the heart of every story you write must lie authenticity. To paraphrase Janis Joplin in a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns - A Piece of My Heart. Include a piece of your heart.
You should be familiar with your characters and the challenges they face, the situations you place them in — in other words, write what you know.
If your voice is inauthentic, while you may write an entertaining piece, it is ultimately forgettable.
The irony is this - a work can be forgettable and even, well, crap, and still sell like hotcakes. But it won’t be a work I’ll buy.
Ce la vie. Who cares what I buy?
Exactly.
I did read a snippet of a work in progress by a hopeful author, Stephanie Berget. Just a snippet, a smidge. The authenticity in her voice jumped out at me and I knew immediately if and when she gets published, or publishes, I will buy her book.
Here’s a story, a true story. I once believed most journalists possessed integrity. I did, really. And, as my uncle was a journalist and he possessed integrity I know some do, indeed, possess integrity.
Anyway… I attended a writer’s conference. It was by invitation only, in other words I had to submit a sample of my work, which was evaluated by a committee, which then determined my skill level was acceptable and I was granted admission.
On faculty was a woman I so admired, a NYT bestselling author. I thought she’d be, oh I don’t know, professional, erudite, informative, mature… everything I expected a bestselling author and high profile journalist for a major international publication to be. I knew she’d impart words of wisdom I’d never, ever forget… words that would inspire me, encourage me in my elusive quest for publication.
Of course I registered for a day-long workshop with her, entitled- The Art of the Short Story. She was the one person I was determined to learn from. I was already familiar with the structure of a short story, but I was convinced she could provide insights into the secret world behind the deep, dark, mysterious, and oh-so elite publishing curtain… Insights to help me craft a better story, one that would attract the attention of magazines, publishers and literary agents.
She appeared two hours late, her hair a rat’s nest, wearing sunglasses, hungover, barely able to speak above a garbled whisper because of her headache.
The workshop was supposed to last the entire day. She managed to spend a single hour with us before she had to go vomit. In that one hour I learned the following-
1. Whom she’d had sex with over the past five years. Where she’d had sex. Who gave it to her in the ass. I have never been able to look at him the same since (on film) because if she’s the kind of person he wants to have sex with, uh, yuck. He must have slunk off the next day with his tail between his legs. (By the way, she is a lit fic author, doesn’t write erotica.)
2. How much she charged the magazine for her trips, both national and international, purportedly to do research, but in actuality to drink and hook up with men.
3. Her words of wisdom- “Just make it up. Lie. When you’re too hungover to do the interview you’ve scheduled, or check out the statistics your article is supposed to be based on, pretend you did the research. In this business we make up shit all the time.”
Yeah, I paid for this. I paid good money… for this. Her books, the books I brought hoping for an autograph, went straight into the trash bin. Not so much because I was disillusioned with her as a person, but because it cost a whole lot to hear her truth and her truth was a disrespectful lie from start to finish. Disrespectful to her profession, to her employers, to her fans, disrespectful to those of us who paid money to learn from her. You want to know the worst part? The women attendees, not the men, followed her around for five days with their tongues hanging out, panting after her like she was a bitch in heat. I think that surprised me the most.
So I’m telling you- I’ve been writing for a lot of years. Write what you know. Don’t lie like she did. All stories are a lie, or if you prefer, a fantasy to a greater or lesser degree, but at the core of every lie you tell must be your truth. A discerning reader will know the difference. Respect your readers, your characters and yourself.
Absolutely. I had a similar experience many years ago with an author I much admired until I met her. It’s a sobering, devastating experience, but I, too, learned something. Never, ever, ever act like she did. Always remember your readers are the most important people out there after your family. Without them, you’re just writing for yourself. I went home and systematically stripped my library of all her books. And I never bought another one. She has around a 300. Oops…
Wow. While I shouldn’t be surprised by her actions, I am.
Wow. Just wow! And what is wrong with our fellow women? I like your message, Julia. Even though all stories are “made up”, the ones that stick with you the most have truth underneath them. Thank you!
Ah yes, Julia, ain’t truth the truth?
What I see a lot of in genre fiction is that somebody writes a popular book or makes a popular movie, and suddenly a ton of writers jump on the phenom and pretty soon we’ve got characters and situations that are based on other popular books that are based on a tv show based on a movie that was based on a book. Like a mirror inside a mirror inside a mirror ad nauseum. There might have been some honest writing somewhere in the chain, but any truths are quickly subsumed into stereotypes, stock characters and cliches. Such junk might be popular for a while, but its popularity will be fleeting and it’s never good.
I would have demanded my money back. On the other hand, you did learn something valuable, if not what you thought you’d be learning.
I guess it boils down to the question, “Why do you write?”
As Jaye says, you can churn out rip-offs and make some money, but ultimately your work would be forgotten as soon as the last page is turned and the book is closed. If all you want is money, working at McDonalds would probably net you as much per hour as a lot of pro writers make…
Imagine my surprise when I opened your blog today and saw my name. What a compliment. Thank you.
I agree, if you write what you know your characters become real, breathing people.
Thanks again.
You’re welcome, Stephanie - much deserved! I want to read that book of yours. I agree, I want living, breathing characters.
Hi Marie - I learned so much! As in many male authors/faculty members were only there because they got paid to be there and because of the hook ups with fangirls. Yes, learned that! I also learned, from the instructor in a poetry workshop, a man who was excellent by the way, that many authors show up at these conferences because they need inspiration and new material. He said - “Borrowing is common.” In other words, they read interesting stuff by some wanna be authors and run with it. It’s not as if we had the power to do much back then.
Yes, Jaye, it is the truth! Jump on that bandwagon and ride it until both the theme and the public are exhausted. I guess I’m sort of a bandwagon runner-away-from. I’m so dang contrary!
Yes, it’s true, Casey. I don’t mind a story that’s been done before as long as I can hear the sincere voice beneath. And yeah, what is wrong with us women?
I was floored, Amber. Not at all as advertised. Of course none of us is perfect, but when you’re being paid big bucks to show up… you oughta show up.
That’s a good way to put it, Anny - a sobering experience. That’s a lot of books you got rid of! I just had to throw out two!
First thing I thought of when I read this post….geez, that story would make a great movie. Or short story. Or scene in a book.
Write what you know…
Penny - hee-hee-hee!
Man oh man. Straight up. In the face. As we said back in the day… “Heavy “.
You keep on talkin’. I’ll keep on listenin’.
Funny, Tim! Yeah, heavy. Thanks for listening. I’ve been remiss - linked to you today!
That’s pretty depressing.
Just for a moment there I thought we were heading down 50 shades road again. I wonder if Ms James was at that workshop? LoL
Well, Tom, she might as well have been. But I suspect she doesn’t drink quite this much… But I bet she took her classes and actually listened!