Write What You Know…Sort Of
Posted: September 13th, 2011 | Author: aarondietz | Filed under: Short | 4 Comments »In writing, the well-known trick is to write what you know, but many writers get sidetracked by this and confuse what they know with what they think they should know. A writer may indeed know what it feels like to be a Russian spy posing as a Norwegian chef in the U.K. whose vital mission is to decode a message that will save the lives of countless human beings–including their secret lover.
I’ve always been confused by the write what you know thing. But, then again, if what you know best is storytelling (or to use the words of Galaxy Quest lying) then a writer would indeed know what it feels like to be a Russian spy posing as a Norwegian card counting blackjack player at an casino on the river who happenstanced into a drag show and didn’t know the lady he was getting into was not who she appeared to be.
Sounds like you know a thing or two about lying, er…storytelling….
If you can write at all (have hands or someone to dictate it to if you have no hands) then I believe your best bet is to be a combination of earnest, sad, funny, cold, forgiving, to the point, obtuse, endearing and nostalgic. You know, alive.
And you do so well at being alive, Bud.