Susan is a wonderful storyteller. Her article today explains why I find her books so fascinating and real--aside from captivating writing and wry humor which I love.
Write what you know.
It's one of the most common pieces of advice you hear offered to writers.
And I suppose it works for people like John Grisham, a lawyer writing legal thrillers. Or for Robin Cook, a doctor writing medical thrillers.
But just how, exactly, do we explain Stephen King? Pretty sure he's not writing what he knows—and if he is...well, let's not go there.
How many fabulous books would we have missed out on if the writers held to a strict interpretation of write what you know? Vampires? Don't know any. Do know writers who make a great living writing about them. A school for sorcerers? Never been to one -- doubt J. K. Rowling has, either. It's worked out well for her.
I'm not mechanically inclined—but my first heroine was a mechanic. My artistic talents are limited to drawing stick figures, yet my last hero was a comic book artist. I've never parented a child who's had a heart transplant—my second book featured such a parent and child. I've never parented a child with acute aplastic anemia or had a child through a sperm bank, either. But my new book, The Family Plan, features exactly such a child.
So how do we manage this? Research! And in today's internet age, research has never been easier. You cannot only access all sorts of articles on the subject you need to learn about, but you can connect with real people who know these things.
For my second book, The Mommy Plan, I was in touch with a mom who had a young son who'd had a heart transplant. She was willing to answer all sorts of questions, even the slightly odd ones, like, would you let him get his ear pierced? She was awesome, too, because she understood that her experience was HER experience, and other people's experiences and reactions would be different.
For A Kid to the Rescue, I had local resources that helped me out with the legal aspects of the book. I had a family lawyer who helped me with the custody case, and the man who is now the District Attorney for Erie actually answered my questions about the criminal case in the book.
For The Family Plan, I connected via email with a nurse who works with kids having bone marrow transplants. She was able to answer all my medical questions. I found an amazing document designed for the parents of bone marrow transplant kids that explained everything in great detail, including what these kids could eat or not eat. My critique partner happened to be my source for information about the heroine's suddenly high-risk pregnancy because the situation had happened to her. So I bugged her constantly while writing the book. (See, don't write what you know—write what other people know and bug the heck out of them! Actually, I've found people are very willing to share their experiences. Ask politely. But don't be afraid to ask questions.)
The part where you DO have to write what you know is when it comes down to the emotions. You may not have experienced the exact situation you've put your characters in, but you can IMAGINE what it would be like. You want to make sure you give them their own emotional response, not YOUR emotional response. But it's okay to tap into your own emotions. That's writing what you know.
Readers respect honesty in writing. Venture into the dark places. Thank God I've never known the absolute fear of losing my child—but I can put myself there. I've lost other loved ones, and I can extrapolate that losing a child would be even worse. I had a foster son who left my home, and I cried for two days, heartbroken. I used these things to get into my heroine's head for The Family Plan.
What I don't know and have written through research and instinct: being an architect, being a chef, being involved in a custody case, being involved in a criminal prosecution of a man who murdered my sister, being an art therapist, being a runaway surrogate mother...
What I've written that I do know: Parents should put their children first. Relationships don't always run smoothly. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. We all hunger for love and acceptance of who we are, the way we are. Change is hard, and often painful.
So when someone tells you to write what you know, don't take them literally. Be emotionally honest—and do your homework. But write what moves you. Because that will move your readers, too.
- What have you written that you "don't know?" What have you written that you do know?
- Do you have questions on how to do research? Can you think of any other advice that’s often given to writers that you disagree with?
The Family Plan Blurb:
4.5 Stars from RT Magazine!
She's stirring up the gene pool!
Dr. Amelia Young has meticulously organized her family plan. Wonderful daughter? Done. Man? Unnecessary. All Amelia has ever needed is carefully selected DNA. So what if the donor turns out to be a ridiculously hot chef with a distracting butt and wicked smile? That only proves she had good taste in genes.
Anonymously donating his DNA at a clinic when he was a student is one thing. A strange woman at his door requesting a second deposit is quite another. But when Finn Hawlins realizes Amelia needs another child to save her first -- his first -- he relents. And when that first kid turns up on his doorstep a few months later, he's in this family deep!
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Visit Susan's website: http://www.susangable.com/
