write what you know
July 16, 2009
- In class the other night we talked about Melanie Rae Thon’s brilliant story “Little White Sister,” which not only an amazing read but an important lesson to writers: Write beyond what you know.In this interview with BOMB Magazine, Thon talks about her decision to write from the perspective of a black male in first person:“Those voices of censorship become ridiculous. The extrapolation of ...
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December 22, 2008
- When I was in college studying to become a magazine journalist, I was taught to write what I know. No matter whose class I took or the type of class, the professor always told the students the same thing: Write what you know. The caveat to this rule lay in its reverse: If you can't write about what you know, know about what you write. In other words, become the expert on the topic.Over the ...
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July 14, 2008
- The phrase "write what you know" is a misnomer. It doesn't mean that if you're a lawyer, you have to write about lawyers; if you're a policeman, you have to write about the police; if you're a housewife, you have to write about housewives; if you're a crack head, you have to write about crack heads. It doesn't mean that since I'm in the military, I have to write about the military. ...
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