Julieogrant

One of many primo, Quantity One “guidelines” for writers is write what you already know.

Writing what you already know is mostly glorious recommendation for writers who’re within the early phases of their careers. Understanding your setting — whether or not it’s geographical, skilled,  familial, is one much less subject you’ll must face whenever you’re nonetheless not but fully snug with fiction’s fundamental craft components — narrative, backstory, plot, dialogue, character.

However—

What in case you can’t — or don’t need to — write what you already know?

As a result of —

• In case you do, you’ll lose your job.
• You’ll get kicked out of college. Or your e-book membership.
• Your pals will desert you and your enemies will experience your distress.
• Your kin won’t ever converse to you once more, a lot much less invite you to a marriage and even Thanksgiving dinner.
• Your boss/colleagues will badmouth you.
• Your dad and mom will disown you.
• Your loopy ex will sue you.
• Your beefy, tattooed neighbor — who activates his weed whacker at seven AM on Sunday morning — will come after you with a hammer/hacksaw/baseball bat.
• You’ve already written eight cozy mysteries/horror novels/romances set in the identical charming small city, however now the nicely has run dry.
• You’ve already written what you already know and also you’ve run out of concepts/inspiration.

Or—

• You’ve obtained a satisfying variety of books behind you, and the time has come to refresh.
• Circumstances past your management have resulted in an extended lapse between books and it’s good to restart your profession.
• You’re bored and stressed, and anxious to strive one thing new.
• You’re at some extent in your profession the place you want to develop your horizons.

Irrespective of the rationale, it’s good to discover one thing new and/or completely different to write down about, one thing that excites you, conjures up you but in addition retains you out of hassle (and jail).

Write what you already know — however not precisely.

Anne and I’ve each supplied tips on how you can safely use “actual life” in fiction.

Anne explores how and when to fictionalize actual life.

I clarify precisely what I did to show a actual life drama into bestselling fiction.

However what if you need to/need to write what you don’t know?

How do you “strive one thing new,” however don’t overreach and get in over your head?

Write one thing completely different, however not too completely different.

In case you write candy romance, a leap to house opera doesn’t make a lot sense, however a shift to second probability romance does.

In case you write procedural thriller, a transfer to city fantasy appears a bridge too far, however a transfer to Sherlock-type MC doesn’t.

In case you write home suspense, a swap to house aliens defies logic, however a small city thriller doesn’t.

The purpose is that a large leap away out of your style may be an excessive amount of. For you — and to your readers.

However a step to the facet does make sense.

In case you write thrillers, a transfer to action-adventure offers you an opportunity to strive one thing new, however nonetheless make the most of your talent at superior plotting and credible struggle scenes.

In case you write sci-fi, a transfer to house opera may make sense.

In case you write horror, think about a transfer to paranormal thriller.

In case you write up to date ladies’s fiction, think about historic ladies’s fiction.

Don’t nonetheless, leap from 21^st Century ladies, their profession crises and boy buddy issues to Regency debutantes who should discover a husband. Readers who love no matter historic interval you’re eager about are very knowledgable in regards to the particulars, and can leap on you for any misstep.

As an alternative, maybe return to the top of the 20^th Century whenever you have been youthful than you are actually however keep in mind a number of the songs, books, celebrities, political points and fashions. A Google question will flip up highlights, headlines and notable occasions of no matter yr you select.

You’ll simply discover out who was president, whether or not the economic system was good or not so good, what merchandise have been newly launched, what singers have been ruling the charts, and the way your—or your character’s—favourite staff did that yr.

The background and references can be completely different — but in addition acquainted. You’ll have a complete new vary of conflicts and characters to write down about with out risking an avalance of one-star opinions from readers who’re consultants in Victorian needlework, Regency decorum, or World Battle I battles in Europe.

Location & setting.

In case you’re feeling burnt out after writing your ninth cozy thriller set in a captivating small city in South Carolina, think about altering the background to a comfortable thriller set in a working class neighborhood within the mid-West just like the one your Mother or Dad grew up in.

Or transfer your setting from South Carolina to your roommate’s suburban neighborhood close to Dallas.

What in regards to the farm in a rural space you visited one summer time?

Think about the go to to a state capital you recall out of your class journey and alter your small city cupcake store setting to the doings of politicians, lobbyists and help workers. Who additionally eat quite a lot of cupcakes.

You may indulge your daydreams of visiting Paris by sending your heroine to a small lodge on the left financial institution, the place she outlets on the Champs Elysée, and enjoys café au lait and chocolate croissants on the “good” small café.

Whether or not you’re a fan or participant, a transition from cozy thriller to sports activities thriller a few sport you take pleasure in and know a bit (or quite a bit) about could make sense.

Working.

Volleyball.

Badmitton.

Croquet.

Tennis.

Softball.

And, after all, the same old suspects: bkaseball, basketball and soccer.

A small change could make a giant distinction whenever you write what you don’t know.

Our cozy thriller author will nonetheless have the small solid of characters s/he is aware of how you can write however placing the sufferer and the suspects in a unique setting can refresh you—and your writing.

A easy change in location will change so many issues: meals, native customs, leisure, faculty and work experiences.

Journey blogs are an incredible supply of analysis.

So are the worldwide streaming collection on Netflix, Amazon and Sundance,

For extra inspiration, right here is an article by creator Olivia Rana discussing what she did — and didn’t do—to analysis settings in India, Iceland and Northern Eire.

Jobs. Jobs. Jobs.

Until your character is an inheritor or heiress (could be the case in historic fiction), s/he should do one thing to make a residing.

John Grisham turned his experiences as a lawyer into fame and fortune.

John LeCarré was an intel officer in Germany. Materials for his bestselling spy novels got here from these early years.

Ian Fleming was additionally an intel officer and he created James Bond.

Agatha Christie certified as a pharmacist’s assistant and used her data of medication in her novels.

Kurt Vonnegut labored as a journalist for Sports activities Illustrated, a PR govt for Basic Electrical, and, briefly, as a automobile seller, earlier than his writing profession took off.

Franz Kafka was an insurance coverage clerk working as an insignificant clerk for a big, highly effective firm, an expertise mentioned to have impressed The Trial.

Michael Connolly was against the law reporter in Florida and California, work expertise that led to the creation of his recurring character, Los Angeles Police Division Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch.

Don Winslow made his residing as a movie show supervisor and later a non-public investigator in Occasions Sq..

The purpose is that drawing by yourself — or a buddy’s, roommate’s, relative’s — work expertise will provide a variety of settings, conflicts, and frustrations to refresh your fiction.

For instance—

Not getting a well-earned increase or promotion.

Battle with a back-stabbing colleague.

Dealing with a nasty buyer.

Coping with an incompetent boss.

A secret workplace romance.

Or a “fish out of water” state of affairs? A buttoned-down accountant is employed by a theater firm about to go bankrupt, a scenario with loads of messy, operatic meltdowns and beaucoup drama.

Or, to take an instance from a buddy of mine who had a summer time job in high quality management inspecting males’s underpants for flaws in a Fruit of the Loom manufacturing unit. A gifted pianist, she escaped the underpants and have become a revered trainer. Nevertheless, that summer time job gave her apply in tolerating tedium and helped her enhance her personal apply classes and people of her college students.

And her expertise gave me an concept about what boring jobs are like, what to be taught from them, and how you can escape them.

Love & Angst.

Gee, can you actually imagine I put these two experiences in the identical headline? ?

We’ve all had our personal run-ins with love (and angst), however, even in case you’ve already drawn by yourself experiences, right here is one other wealthy space of prospects for writing what you don’t know. We’ve all been aware about our family and friends’s tales of —

Romance: Teenage love, summer time romances, trip romances, workplace romances, and/or the boy/lady subsequent door romance.

And their flip facet:

Breakups.

Makeups.

Divorce.

Doomed amorous affairs.

Actual-life joyful endings.

Scary well being points.

Monetary ups and downs.

POV

Normally, write romance within the third individual? Attempt first individual.

Need to try one thing more difficult? Alternating POVs is a approach to inform your story that gives a large scope of prospects.

Normally, write from the POV of your MC?

What about writing a few lovers’ spat from the POV of the canine. The cat.

Or from the canine and the cat in alternating chapters. Absolutely a canine and a cat will view a lovers’ spat otherwise, proper?

From the POV sugar bowl on the kitchen desk.

Or from the POV of a gun that does — or doesn’t — get fired.

I started Zuri, my story about an animal orphanage in Africa, from the POV of a child rhino who witnesses her mom’s slaughter however doesn’t perceive what’s occurred.

Backside line—

Once you have in mind your self, your colleagues, kin, and associates, and mix your experiences and theirs with applicable fictionalization, you could have a variety of sources to attract on. The actual fact is that “writing what you don’t know” gives many extra prospects than you may assume at first.

As a result of, as occurs so usually that it’s virtually predictable, you already know greater than you assume you already know.

Expensive Scriveners, Do you often write what you already know? Have you ever tried to write down what you don’t know? Did you discover stepping outdoors your normal style refreshing? Or difficult?

Concerning the Park Avenue Collection FREE Sampler—

“Bestsellers like A long time, Husbands And Lovers and Love And Cash have established Ruth Harris as one of many frankest, most trendy, and most compelling voices in up to date fiction.” —Chicago Solar-Occasions

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