Write What You Want!

Kristen King

by Lori Widmer

www.inkthinkerblog.com — I remember the first time I asked a fellow writer, “How can I figure out what to write about?” I got back the standard answer: “Write about what you know.” Uh, okay. Suppose I know very little? I mean, how many of us are experts in anything? I can crochet a nice chain, but does that qualify me to write a detailed article on how to crochet a three-piece suit? (And does anyone really want to crochet a three-piece suit, much less read an article about it?)

Of course not, which means that sage advice that shows up in nearly every book on writing misses the mark completely. Worse, it steers you in the wrong direction, which in the best case would be down the wrong path and in the worst case would be away from writing altogether. In fact, it’s the worst advice imaginable.

Here’s why.

The Pigeonhole
Writing about what you know means you’re not going to learn much more. Suppose you’ve done some rollerblading in your day, and your friends think you’re pretty good. Using our “write what you know” advice, you’re now pigeonholed into writing only about rollerblading. You cannot, and dare not, expand into other areas because you know nothing about it. Right? Of course not, but isn’t that exactly the advice you were given?

As a new writer, you should be doing the opposite. You need to be exploring new areas and finding new things that catch your attention. What have you always wanted to learn about but never had time for? Dog sledding? Retail buying? Backpacking? Pamela Anderson? Software and technology? It can be anything you read about that catches your attention or anything you’ve always wanted to know more about. Don’t worry about being an expert. All you need is a healthy curiosity and a list of experts to give credibility to your article.

Lack of Love
Writing about your passions is also pretty sad advice, but this one holds a bit more merit than writing about what you know. Still, it falls short by quite a bit in terms of really helping a new writer. That’s because it’s tough to nail down your passions and your specialties, especially if you think of it as something you should already love. That’s another reason why this advice doesn’t cut the mustard.

As a writer with over 15 years of experience, I’m hard pressed to give you a list (or even a line item) of things I’m passionate about that I could turn into a specialty or even an article. Sure, I could give you a detailed account of my trip to southern Utah, but that’s hardly a passion.

Instead, change your perspective a bit. Instead of labeling it a specialty or a passion, think of it as an interest in one area or another. For example, I may not be passionate about spending a week being baked alive in August under the intense Utah sun , but I do enjoy traveling to places away from the tourist traps. I have an interest in traveling to relatively untouched places.

The same applies to you. Suppose you enjoy learning about the latest software for your computer. You’re not necessarily living and breathing the technology craze, but you have some interest in what goes on in that market. That interest could translate easily into articles, reviews, weblogs and more.

No Curiosity
The problem with both of these statements is they don’t inspire a writer’s curiosity. One of the toughest things we writers have to deal with is not writer’s block – it’s lack of solid ideas. If we stick to only what we know or are deeply passionate about, we’re going to run out of ideas fast.

Instead, get curious. Sometimes that curiosity can get you through the rough assignments. I remember my first days as a senior editor. I had to learn an entire industry that I found boring and confusing on the surface. I got curious in order to survive. That curiosity saved my career, and it did something better – it created a deep interest and appreciation for a specialty that I still write about today.

Write It All
So forget that advice that’s been hammered into your brain. It’s useless to you if you want to survive as a writer. Instead, follow this advice – write about anything that piques your curiosity. Write to find out about something or to answer a question you’ve always had. Write to understand a problem or to help find a solution. Write to learn and grow. Where you want to go will take you much farther than where you’ve been.

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Lori Widmer is a freelance writer and editor who has many interests and few marketable passions. She may be reached at lwbean@gmail.com.

Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.