Two Popular Pieces of Writing Advice That Actually Conflict With Each Other
Ever heard write what you know?
So old-fashioned.
So traditional.
It’s one of the most foundational pieces of writing advice ever given.
Repeated over and over again, ad nauseam.
It could also derail your writing goals.
Why It’s Easy To Write What You Know
Why is it mentioned all the time? Because it works. It’s a great place to start.
- It’s very familiar
- It doesn’t take as much research
- It plays to your strengths
It’s so much easier to write what you know. Because…well, you already know it.
You have experience in the subject plus interest. Kickstarting the writing process is so much simpler.
Writing What You Don’t Know
Writers often have this crazy idea they must make something grand that no one has ever thought of before.
However, writing what you don’t know can be a lonely and long haul, especially when the research becomes complex and things get bogged down.
Writing what you don’t know takes:
- More time
- More research
- More exploration.
It’s riskier. You could have more rabbit holes and fruitless loops.
Writing in new territory hones your research chops, helps you develop new angles, and educates your audience along the way.
Only writing what you know could mean stasis and too much comfort.
Here’s a Secret:
You’ll never know everything there is to know about what you already know.
Confusing?
Take your favorite topic. There’s always more to learn, to research, to explore.
I really like paddleboarding.
I go out almost every weekend when it’s warm and sunny.
But I can’t do every trick or stance. I don’t know about every brand or every polycarbonate fiber. I mostly go in flat water, like lakes, so I don’t know everything about currents or waves.
There’s still a lot for me to learn about paddleboarding, even though I “know” it.
What do you actually know?
Don’t worry if you’ve ever asked yourself this question, because even published and famous authors disagree and have argued about it.
It’s not only about subject matter: It’s about shared emotion and observational skills.
Look at how Ursula K. LeGuin, a well-known sci-fi writer, talks about it:
As for “Write what you know,” I was regularly told this as a beginner. I think it’s a very good rule and have always obeyed it. I write about imaginary countries, alien societies on other planets, dragons, wizards, the Napa Valley in 22002. I know these things. I know them better than anybody else possibly could, so it’s my duty to testify about them. I got my knowledge of them, as I got whatever knowledge I have of the hearts and minds of human beings, through imagination working on observation. Like any other novelist. All this rule needs is a good definition of ‘know.’
Knowing this current world, its brokenness and frailties, and then make something new out of it. You’re still writing what you know (kind of).
Is there a third way?
How about…do both?
- Write what you know
- Write what you don’t know.
- Write what you know and do research on both.
Why do you always have to choose?
Yes, you have permission to write about what’s happening on your street and to research a freelance article.
No one says you have to choose one or the other.
And if you’re having fun, it doesn’t have to be perfect and publishable.
You can crush it either way.
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