How to Write What You Don’t Know

“Write what you know.” It’s one of the oldest truisms of creative writing. Life experience offers a wealth of material and ideas. Once you’ve experienced an aspect of life for yourself, it’s easier to depict it accurately, because you know what you’re talking about. However, there are heaps of books out there about aliens and magic powers, none of which has been proven to exist in our reality. There are fantastic stories about improbable events which the writers have never experienced, and touching nonfiction written on subjects in which the authors are not experts. Good writing isn’t inevitably drawn from direct experience. Here are some tips on writing what you don’t know.    

Research: If you want to write about something you aren’t familiar with, research is a good starting point. Read authoritative books on topics related to your subject. Watch movies or TV related to it, or listen to podcasts and radio on the topic. Some writers seek out museums or travel to relevant locations. If you’re writing about something that others have experienced but you haven’t, seek out first-person accounts. Decide on some initial questions you want to know the answers to, and begin researching them online. One link will lead to another, and you may find yourself diving down a rabbit hole of relevant and interesting information. Sometimes posting in online forums or on social media will yield great results as well.

Talk to people who know what you don’t: Go one step beyond research by talking directly to the source. If, say, you want to learn about Italian cooking, you might learn a lot from talking to an Italian chef. Informational interviews are a great way to learn more. Remember to thank the people you interview for making their time and expertise available. One way to do this is by treating them to coffee or a meal during the interview. You can also seek out specialized beta readers or sensitivity readers who come from the knowledge area or background that you are writing about and can advise on authenticity in your manuscript. In some cases, you may already know people who are knowledgeable about your subject. You may be surprised what you can learn from your friends, and from their friends!

Try something new: Say you’re looking for writing inspiration and your own experience isn’t yielding it. As Neil Gaiman says in his storytelling MasterClass, sometimes the answer is gaining more life experience. Try something that interests you which you haven’t done before. Go somewhere you haven’t gone. Talk to new people. Julia Cameron calls this “filling the well” of your creativity. Trying new things is a wonderful source of ideas!

Get inspired by media: Reading a book or watching a show can give you great ideas for writing that don’t necessarily come from direct experience. What would it be like if you got the chance to visit that magical land? What would happen if that vampire got together with the policeman tracking him down? Wouldn’t it be cool if…? Fanfiction comes from these inspirations, but a lot of original media has come from them as well. Use your imagination to build on the springboard of inspiration from creative work that has come before.  

Take “write what you know” metaphorically: Maybe you’re a nurse who’s looking to write about something unrelated to nursing. As you write, you might find that other aspects of your experience are still relevant. The emotions of treating patients might enrich your characters’ experience, or the fast pace of your job might help you write a convincing suspense plot. Don’t just draw from your experience by looking at what you’ve done. Draw on what you’ve thought and what you’ve felt. Extrapolate by imagining yourself in your characters’ shoes.  

“Write what you know” may be stellar advice in some cases, but by looking beyond its literal meaning, you can extend that foundation of knowledge to a much broader range of topics. Happy writing!