[Stylist] Writing and experiences

[Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter]

Yeah, the whole write what you know is a bit misleading. A writing
instructor once told me that what you know is fluid and constantly changes.
It's about what you know in a given moment, and that can fluctuate. And what
you know doesn't necessarily have to mean you lived an experience
first-hand; we learn through research and are able to write about what we
learn from books and movies and conversations, etc. I don't think it's
necessary you attend a sporting event in order to write a character who
does. You can read about sports or interview athletes or sports fans and
have a good enough grasp on the subject to write about it. Emily Bronte was
a recluse. Like literally never left the house and lived very few first-hand
experiences. And yet she wrote one of the most famous love stories of all
time, Wuthering Heights. The novel is captivating, visceral and gripping.
Completely debunking the myth that one can only write about first-hand
experiences, grin.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Stylist <stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Vejas Vasiliauskas
via Stylist
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2019 6:04 PM
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Cc: Vejas Vasiliauskas <alpineimagination at gmail.com>
Subject: [Stylist] Writing and experiences

Hi all,
Lately I've been considering  the saying "Write what you know" and it's
really made me think.
I enjoy writing, and overall my teachers have liked reading my pieces. But
as an introvert, I'm not always into everything that my peers are into... I
spend time with friends and family, am in a few clubs but other than that
mostly read and listen to music when I'm not working/studying.
I bet there are other introverts on here. Has anyone gone to an event just
for the sake of the experience of being able to write about it in the
future?  For example, I've never gone to a sports game at school because it
doesn't interest me, but that means my characters really can't, either.
Just curious about peoples' thoughts on this, Vejas
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