Write What You Know

[Whispersecret]

Bullshit.

I know that's one of the Commandments of Writing, but I think it's bunk. If people only wrote what they knew, we'd all be in big trouble. How then could anyone write about murder if they'd never committed it? How could they write about incest unless they'd screwed their parents? Obviously, they use their imagination.

I suppose if you really wanted to keep that phrase, I suggest you think about it like this. Write what you know, and if you don't know it, find out about it or imagine how it would be. Otherwise, don't limit yourself.

 

[Mickie]

My grandmother said that to me years ago. I took it to mean, if I don't know about it, go and find out as much information as I could before writing about it. And, a lot of things can cross over from one subject to another. Sex is sex, whether it involves sex with parents, a spouse, or a stranger in the park. You know the sex part, and the rest, whether imaginary or not, is the icing on the cake.

Start with what you know, and go on from there, using imagination and thought. However, the best writing knows details about things. So, the more you understand what you're writing about, the better the writing is. Murder? Okay, I can write about that. I have written about it. However, the reason I can write knowledgably about it isn't because I've murdered someone, but because I've felt like murdering someone. I've been a victim of things other than murder and rape, as well, so I think I can write about a victim pretty well. It isn't the actuality we need to know, but the feelings and surroundings. Without that, we might as well tell about sex with a single line -- He put his cock in her cunt and came.

Mickie

 

[Weird Harold]

I know that's one of the Commandments of Writing, but I think it's bunk.

I think this is always phrased the way it is because "Don't write what you Don't know" is just too cumbersome, although that is really what it means.

There is a part of every story that is drawn purely from the author's imagination that makes the story unique or different. When an author placs that imaginary part against a backdrop of places he's never been, or in a culture he doesn't understand, the story looses much of it's impact.

For example, I won't write a Chinese Love Story because I don't truly understand Chinese culture and philosophy well enough to make a smooth flowing story that fits in that culture. I might write a story about an American trying to understand Chinese culture to please his lover, but that's NOT the same thing as writing about a Chinese couple immersed in that culture from childhood.

I know what an American goes through trying to understand an Asian culture but I don't know, and can't know, what it's like growing up in that culture. In order to follow the principle of not writing what I don't know, I have to shape any story I set in Asia in terms of the cultural differences and the clash between cultures.

 

[pocketrocket]

Write what you dream about

In thee end all stories are autobiographical. The character motives are in some way the authors. If your character is in a situatiojn you do not understand, the character will appear lost, even if he/she should be fully in control.

Its why I rarely put gay scenes in my stories. I'm just not wired for it. I understand getting and being aroused, but not in the context of a man's penis. On the other hand my experience with bondage is limited, but in that area I can more easily extend my imagination.

I know bondage. I don't know gay.

 

[p_p_man]

You mean...

Jules Verne didn't go arouind the world in eighty days?

Oh rats...

 

[pocketrocket]

Doing dwarves

Personally I had a three drarf week. Sleepy, Sneezey and Grumpy.

 

[pocketrocket]

Sorry about that last

See what happens when you don't proof?

Anyway, you prove the point. Jules Verne knew travel. The places are just details.

 

[SpectreT]

Let's not forget another potentail pitfall of the "Write what you know" quote.

Experts on a topic have to fight down the urge to bore people to death with little details. Who needs that much accuacy and attention to detail to enjoy a story? Don't get me wrong, sometimes such detail is necessary to the plot or action, but too much of it can bog down a story in nothing flat.

Just my opinion.....

 

[Weird Harold]

...Experts on a topic have to fight down the urge to bore people to death with little details. ...

Just my opinion.....

And a very fine opinion it is too. Little details aren't the only problem with being too close to a subject -- Jargon and Job related slang can give some realism and color to a story, but NOT if it inhibits understanding.

Actually, I guess Jargon and slang would come under the heading of the corolarry to write what youy know: "Write How you Speak." Listening to some of the younger denizens of my neighborhood make me fervently hope they ignore this one.

 

[Whispersecret]

I hear ya, WH. My younger brother speaks a foreign language in which every other word is "dude," an apparently unisex term.

 

[Gaucho]

I hear ya, WH. My younger brother speaks a foreign language in which every other word is "dude," an apparently unisex term.

Your younger brother is a surfer?

 

[Whispersecret]

No, (HI, Gaucho!!!) he grew up in Newport Beach, though, home of the pampered surfer. Still, I wonder how he makes himself understood outside of the beach realm. He now lives in San Francisco, and I wonder if he'll come back referring to everyone as "girlfriend."

 

[Gaucho]

No, but he might switch to "Dudette".

It isn't the actuality we need to know, but the feelings and surroundings. Without that, we might as well tell about sex with a single line -- He put his cock in her cunt and came.

Mickie

I can just see it now. The cock turns to the director and cries,

"But what's my motivation?"

 

[Mickie]

No, but he might switch to "Dudette".



I can just see it now. The cock turns to the director and cries,

"But what's my motivation?"

There's a story in this somewhere!

Mickie

 

[Guest]

Don't get me wrong, sometimes such detail is necessary to the plot or action, but too much of it can bog down a story in nothing flat.

Interesting thread.

I recently ripped 5-6 paragraphs of detail from a story to post it here - in this case it was background and that dreaded "motivation"... It was crucial to the story as I'd written it, but I figured readers here wouldn't be interested and that I'd better get into the hot 'n heavy action sooner than in the original version. I've already gotten several positive emails on it so I guess my edits didn't have too much of a negative effect.

It's a tricky call, but I think it's important to write for your audience more than for yourself, at least when writing for an audience. The background dynamics in my story were important to me and were the focus of my story when I wrote it, but when posting it here, I thought I'd better streamline the setup into something quick and painless for my readers.

I guess I'd rather cut out a bunch of detail myself, than to labor it into "just right" shape only to have people scroll thru my hard work til they got to some body parts.. or worse, to click away after a couple (dull) paragraphs.

 

[masterhypnotist]

In a recent story I used less detail about inducing a trance. I got a complaint that I considered valid. I have NEVER received any complaints about too much detail. The secret, I think, is to give the reader substantial detail while building the interest. Very quickly after I started writing stories on this site, I cut back on the sexual detail. BORING. I get lots of email from women who seem to like the approach and, again, no one complained "not enough sex." Writing what you know is easier, more comfortable.

 

[Guest]

There's a story in this somewhere.....

I'm on it Mickie.........

I'll call it Dudett does Dude.........in dallas.

 

[Ulyssa]

No, but he might switch to "Dudette".



I can just see it now. The cock turns to the director and cries,

"But what's my motivation?"

Stunt double!

 

[Gaucho]

Exactly! I can just see it now...

The cock is poised at the vaginal slit, primed and ready to spew on command, when suddenly the director cries out:

"Cut! Everyone hold their places. Okay, people, now listen up: I'm not happy with the lighting here. We're getting a reflection off the cock's head. Can we do anything about that? And while we're at it, the cock is looking entirely too purple. Makeup, can we make him more pink? And vagina, why aren't you wet? How are we supposed to do a penetration scene if you're not wet?

Vagina: I can't just get wet on command. What do you think I am, a machine? Who is this penis? Why is he trying to fuck me? And why couldn't he at least kiss me first? You know I prefer uncircumsized, don't you?

Director: Honey, we talked about this. Too much foreskin ruins the shot. And we did the kissing scene two days ago, don't you remember? Makeup, get some glycerin for the vagina and spritz her up good, please. <He sighs and whispers to the assistant director> The next time we work with this bitch, remind me to do anal, okay?

While all of this is going on, the cock is thinking to himself, I'm ready. I can do this. Focus, now. Stay in the moment.

Finally, the preparations are complete and the director cries: Action!

And the cock starts to soften. Oh, no! Not now! He jacks himself furiously, ruining the just applied makeup. C'mon, baby! You can do it. But he continues to droop until, right there on center stage in front of the director and everyone, he sags like a limp noodle.

A collective groan goes up around the set. The director cries: Cut! Bring in the stunt double!

And as the mechanical Mr. Squiggly is wheeled into place, the cock slides away dejectedly, a pearl-white drop of cum hanging from his squinky eye, and he thinks: I could have been a star!