Writing What You DON"T Know #IWSG
"Write what you know" is common advice to writers, and for the most part, that's what I do---mostly out of sheer laziness. But there is a downside to it, at least in the romance genre where I play. I've learned that romance readers tend to have a zero tolerance policy toward anything in the story that isn't romance. When I give my characters jobs that I've worked or a faith that I practice, I have to be careful about over-informing the reader.
Significant paring back happens during my second and third drafts and then again during the editing process. And still I get complaints here and there about the bits I left in regarding investment analysis---in a story where two characters get to know each other through a business project---or Catholicism---in a story about a freaking angel.
So here's my brilliant solution for my current WIP---the main character is a lawyer. I know nothing about lawyering. I have no interest in ever knowing anything about lawyering. Therefore, I research only the bare minimum and run no risk of over-informing the reader on legal matters. This makes it easier to keep the focus on the MC and his romantic "journey" (as the producers of The Bachelor would have us all say).
I still think "write what you know" is good advice, but there's a definite upside to writing what you don't. Have you ever written what you don't know and purposely not done a ton of research?
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This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Significant paring back happens during my second and third drafts and then again during the editing process. And still I get complaints here and there about the bits I left in regarding investment analysis---in a story where two characters get to know each other through a business project---or Catholicism---in a story about a freaking angel.
So here's my brilliant solution for my current WIP---the main character is a lawyer. I know nothing about lawyering. I have no interest in ever knowing anything about lawyering. Therefore, I research only the bare minimum and run no risk of over-informing the reader on legal matters. This makes it easier to keep the focus on the MC and his romantic "journey" (as the producers of The Bachelor would have us all say).
I still think "write what you know" is good advice, but there's a definite upside to writing what you don't. Have you ever written what you don't know and purposely not done a ton of research?
)This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Comments
Have a fab and productive March :)
i'm glad i read this post tho - and i call my research of such topics as - knowing just enough to be dangerous! sci fi is even easier to do that with because it's like magic, anything can happen in the future of technology!
hope all is well with you! happy hump day!
Good luck.
Shalom,
Patricia
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
I'm branching out into fiction and the question of research comes up. I would like the story line to be credible. In the first draft, I don't know what I don't know until I get there. Interesting concept. I'll consider your POV. Thanks
I basically have to research everything I write, so I can portray everything and everyone as accurately as possible. It's embarrassing to read back on some of my oldest drafts and see how very little I actually knew about certain things I was writing about.
Sounds fun, anyway!
Romance is tricky, and I had a chuckle about what you wrote. I enjoy reading the details, but everyone has their own opinions. I tend to overindulge in visualization, like my world building or a characters looks, and I've learned to cut back.
I wrote about an exorcism, which I really know very little about except what I've seen in the movies. And I did very little research. I hope it works...
You're a great writer, I'm sure you'll do just fine with your new project.