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| Insecure Writer's Support Group: IWSG Sign-up (insecurewriterssupportgroup.com) |
Welcome to IWSG Day. The goal of this blog hop is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a haven for insecure writers of all kinds. IWSG is the brainchild of our fearless ninja leader Alex Cavanaugh. Thank you to the awesome cohosts for the September 4 posting of the IWSG are Beth Camp, Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, and PJ Colando!
Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional!
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September 4 question - Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class. What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?
The rule "Write What You Know" could have easily set me up for failure. To me, the wording implied that a writer should not attempt to write about anything in which they are lacking knowledge. I had some experience with police work after working as a police reservist and part time peace officer for five years. I also had experience working in a hospital, and years of experience working for insurance companies. But I had never fired a gun at anyone or been shot at - for any reason. Nor had I served in war, known the first thing about gas gangrene, adoptions in Vietnam, or the first thing about Carrara marble.
Yikes, what's a writer to do? Quit? Or learn how to utilize the library for research through books and the use of fiche machines? My first mystery novel came about mostly thanks to libraries. Later, of course, the Internet and Google took over. But only after I better understood that "writing what you know" meant picking a topic you are comfortable with writing about and then doing the research to fill in whatever information you don't already know.
How do you interpret the rule "Write What You Know?"
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