Write what you know,
they say.
Well, yah boo sucks
to that, I say. How would fantasy, historical, science fiction, or
even crime ever get written? If all authors stuck rigidly only to
their own sphere of knowledge and experience then the world of
literature would be a very boring place.
So I'd amend this
to: Use what you know.
Use the experiences
you've had to colour your novels, and especially use the emotions you
have experienced to add depth. Holding your newborn baby; cradling an
elderly much-loved pet as the vet gives that final injection;
attending a sporting event when the team you're supporting wins;
being first on the scene at a traffic accident; watching the
Millennium fireworks; watching TV as the twin towers fell on 9/11;
holding your mother's hand as she breathes her last - I've
experienced all these as I guess many readers will have, too. And
those intense emotions can be channelled into scenes I write.
 |
| Me, hours after giving birth to my second child. |
I'm not advocating
writing scenes that tell of your experiences exactly as they happened
- some are far too private for that. No one's ever going to read of
my mother's last moments. But that "chip of ice" in my
writer's heart stored away exactly how I felt at the time for future
use, and that's what I can use (and have already used).
 |
| A wise quote from a great writer. |
Harrowing though it
might be, when writing the death of a character, think back to how
you felt when someone you loved died, relive it, and try to tap into
that emotion. If you make yourself cry when writing it then you'll
probably make the reader cry when reading it, and it is the emotional
novels that people most remember afterwards. I'd suggest not trying
to do this too soon- emotional experiences need time to bed in, to
become a part of who you are. It's after this has happened that you
can use them in your writing.
 |
| Mum. Gone but never forgotten. |
Same goes for the
joyous, happy occasions. Relive the moment, re-experience the
feelings, and pour it all out as you write. Your reader will feel it
too. And the dramatic, tense moments - you may have been holding your
breath simply awaiting the email confirming your son's A level
results, but you can use those feelings in any scene you write that
requires tension and it'll work.
A marvellous writing
tutor I used to have always advised when writing the "big"
scenes, to put as much emotion as you possibly can on the page, and
then treble it. Tapping into
your own emotional memories is the way to do this. Use
what you've experienced.
