Write What You Know?

Most writers are told "write what you know". This is generally good wisdom. What it means is that the best stories, even ones entirely made up (like my fantasy fiction with little Periwiggles) seem more true-to-life (real) if I write scenes that I understand. When Wiggleton leaps and soars among the trees, which is something I have never done, he does so in a forest of trees that I DO know something about. As a child I wandered for hours near my home through woods very much like the ones Wiggleton knows so well. And the scenes of him playing with his friends are also familiar to me. I played outdoor games with my friends very much like Wiggleton does.

But...there comes a time when I need to write about things I DON'T know. Like, for instance, gems and crystals. That's when it's time to RESEARCH. Research is something every writer must do from time to time in order to know enough facts about a subject to make it seem real in a fiction story.

Yesterday I needed to know more about gems and crystals not only for my Talismon Tales books, but also for another series for adults that I am writing. I don't know much about either gems or crystals. But I can find out! And I did. I drove to the library and checked out some books and learned some really neat things. One of the most interesting to me was that gems ARE crystals--usually these are polished to become shiny. You know gems as clear diamonds, red rubies, green jades, blue sapphires. Cool. But sometimes diamonds can be pink or red. It depends on how and where they were formed.

Other ways to do research are to use the internet or to ask an "expert" person questions. Research can be loads of fun because you often discover wonderful new knowledge you had no clue about before. It is very much like being a detective, and it's one of the many terrific things about being a writer.

Next time I post, I promise another story...one based on my very own childhood. Something I don't need to research since I'm already an "expert" on it. See you soon!