The WDC NanoLounge

The real rule is, figure out what you write about. Imagine it, vividly, either because it's near to you or because you can understand what it must be like.

Now, I've done the kind of writing you speak of, in Creative Writing class. Take a real event that happened to you and write it down. It's nasty, difficult, mindbending work, and the harder it is the more worthwhile. To me, but not always to the reader. I find that the act of writing it down actually changes it, clarifies it, helps me understand, no matter how shallow or slanted my account might be.

The value to the reader depends on if I can figure out why I care, and pass that on.

Clearly, if you can go into the things that move you, figure out why and how they matter so that they impact us, this will be deep and valuable work. However, if you simply show us the surface, thinking that we will have the same reaction, that's going to be hit or miss. This is what many poetasters do.

I wish you luck and hope you get a lot out of your Nano. Consider next time, doing something that is as far removed as possible. You'll find that your experience seeps in anyhow, as you reach for higher levels of detail. This is how to "Write what you know"- by trying and trying as hard as you can, to write about what you don't know.

At least that's been my experience. Every well-drawn character I've ever written has drawn from motivations that are familiar to me. The odder, and more exotic the character, the more basic the motive. Anyhow, I hope that my mad rant helps.All I know for sure is that this doesn't count toward my Nano count.