Writing About Writing
Writing Rule: Write what you know.
Writing Rule: Write what you want to read.
Okay, which one do I follow?
What if you don’t like to read what you know? I deliberately read about activities I have not done, nor ever intend to. Take the time to learn to play Scrabble at a national level? No, thank you. Take the time to read Word Freak and let author Stephan Fatsis do the heavy lifting? Sure.
As I’ve said elsewhere, I don’t read what I know: horses, firefighting, living in the South. I’m doing it. Why would I want to read about it? YMMV
Furthermore, writing what I know quickly turns into writing what I only think I know. When I wrote about the history of a horse show, I was surprised to find that much of the information lodged in my brain was misremembered, exaggerated, or flat out wrong. I had to check and doublecheck every little factoid.
When I set out to write an article on mosquito eradication, I know only what the expert I interview tells me. All my data is current and correct.
What writing rules have tripped you up?
Update
[Writing Rules Graphic]
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 