avatarMelissa-Jane Nguyen

Summary

The author encourages writing about personal experiences and self-reflection, emphasizing that one's unique perspective is a valuable topic for writing, even if the writer does not consider themselves an expert.

Abstract

The article discusses the importance of writing about personal experiences, even when one feels they are not an expert in any particular field. The author shares their own journey of overcoming the fear of not being knowledgeable enough and instead tapping into their unique experiences and insights. They suggest that personal essays are a powerful way to connect with readers by sharing authentic stories and lessons learned. The author argues that everyone has a unique story that can resonate with others, and that writing about one's life can lead to a broad and meaningful focus, contributing to personal growth and potentially impacting readers in a significant way.

Opinions

  • The author believes that writers do not need to be experts to create valuable content; personal experiences are a rich source of material.
  • Writing about one's life can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and can provide meaningful insights to readers.
  • Authenticity in sharing personal struggles, thoughts, and triumphs is crucial for resonating with an audience.
  • Even everyday experiences can be interesting and educational when written about with reflection and purpose.
  • The author emphasizes that personal writing should have a point and direction, offering readers something to learn from or reflect upon.
  • The author suggests that writing with the goal of becoming a better person can provide a broad focus that crosses multiple topics.
  • They advocate for the idea that personal essays can matter to readers by connecting individual experiences to universal themes, as suggested by Leslie Jamison.
  • The author cites Albert Camus to reinforce the idea that writing should have purpose and contribute to societal reflection and growth.

What to Write About When You’re Not an Expert in Anything

There’s one thing you can always tap into

Photo by Jeffery Erhunse on Unsplash

Feeling like I wasn’t an expert in anything or that I wasn’t good enough was what held me back from writing. I’d start to write on a topic but then question what I really had to offer that hadn’t already been said before — and by people who knew way more than me.

The truth is, there will always be lots of people who have more experience than me on almost any given topic.

Almost.

There’s one topic I know more about than anyone else, and that is myself.

My experiences and my life are unique. It’s not like I grew up in a travelling circus, had a pet Zebra and could quote every single word of Pride and Prejudice before the age of 14.

My experiences are of the everyday variety.

But, what I have been through combined with my thoughts and my responses in regards to my life experiences, all equate to things I can tap into and use when I write.

Embrace your experiences

The truth is that writers aren’t always experts in what they write about. That’s why journalists, in particular, often speak to sources who are experts or study scholarly research to back up their point.

Writers are good at conveying a story or a message in a succinct way that either teaches or resonates with readers.

Or that’s the goal, at least.

Since I didn’t feel confident talking to sources, I started writing about my own experiences in the form of personal essays. I desperately wanted to write and I had things I desperately wanted to say.

Personal essays were the perfect way in.

Even when writing about topics that many others have written about, my personal experiences add something unique.

Your experiences are different because of the way you feel about them and the meaning you find there. Not because the very situation you’re in is particularly special.

Leslie Jamison on “How to Write a Personal Essay” says:

I write in all these modes because I’m fascinated by the ways personal experience connects to larger histories, and because I want my writing to matter to the people who read it — people who are, by definition, not me. Which raises one of the crucial questions of autobiographical writing: How can the confession of personal experience create something that resonates beyond itself?

Just as your neighbourhood busybody is peeking over your fence to get a glimpse of your backyard, and perhaps the inner workings of your home, the reader wants some insight into the backyard of your mind: your struggles, your pain, and your triumphs.

But those insights need to be authentic and they also need to give the reader something they can take away and learn from.

To do that, your personal essays still need to have a point and a direction.

They need to have meaning even if what you’re writing about is as mundane as the very specific way you make your bed or the reason you changed your mind completely about getting married and having children.

Your focus will develop

After spending a few months just writing about whatever came to me, I realised that even though I didn’t think I had a clear focus, one had developed anyway. It’s not like I write about business or tech, which are pretty clear topics. My focus is on becoming a better human, which is very broad and can cross a multitude of topics.

Everything I write is about exploring my mistakes so I can learn from them, or my experience in learning about something that will help me become a better person (with the occasional rant thrown into the mix).

I used to be a scared little girl (and she followed me into adulthood).

I was afraid to try even the littlest things like drawing a picture because I was terrified of failing and looking ridiculous.

I’m not quite a billionaire or a famous author (maybe in my dreams), but I have come a long way.

I’ve been working for myself as a freelancer for over seven years and I’ve been making great strides with writing (after spending a long time afraid), which is where I’ve always wanted to be.

My story won’t matter to everyone, but it will resonate with some people, and that’s what you need to aim for with your writing.

I aim to share the things I’ve learned or am learning as I trudge through life.

You might not feel like you’re an expert in anything, but your experiences and what you learn from them, while unique to you, will resonate with others in a similar position.

Albert Camus said:

The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.

Okay, so that might sound a tad dramatic, but if you hold onto the view that your writing must mean something, it will push you to create writing that has purpose even when you feel you’re not an expert in anything.

Write about your experiences with parenting, your relationships, your career, or even your chat with the person who delivered your pizza — you’ve got all the material you need.

Other stories you might be interested in:

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Melissa-Jane Nguyen is an Aussie writer mum (g’day, hi, hello!) with work published in Kidspot and Essential Baby. She’s also been working as a freelance editor for 8 years.

Writing
Creativity
Productivity
Self
Self Improvement
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