WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW?

Ever since I began writing, I\’ve been told to write what I know. No, you don\’t have to. You can write what you don\’t know, but you can learn in the process. There are a lot of authors who write horror, FBI, all kinds of crimes, and they are not fugitives from justice. We learn as we write.

We should have a desire to write a story. I have started a story about a US President, and I know nothing about the Secret Service or the office of the President of the United States of America, but I can learn. Our brains are made to learn new things constantly. This is how we grow our knowledge. I can tell you several things about the US Presidents I didn\’t know before. I know some about the Secret Service, and I\’m willing to learn more. I love this story. It is suspenseful and full of action. I\’ve learned a lot of things since I started the research. I hope I get to finish the book, but I have a couple more that are pulling on me to write.

I\’ll admit it, when I started writing, I thought everyone in the world would want to read my book. It didn\’t happen. I sold pretty well for a first-time author, but I wasn\’t great. Most authors start with that not-so-great book, but we all learn to write better. I\’m praying that I can write better, but I have to put action to my prayers. I have to study the craft, go to conferences, and learn to write better.

One thing Rachel Hauck said in her class last week was, \”Reach for the stars, but if you only make the moon, it\’s okay. You did leave the earth.\” Do not be defeated by a bad start. Go forward, learn from your mistake, and write a better book. Sometimes you have to write several bad books before you have a good one.

Be authentic in your writing. Be yourself. That has been hard for me to learn because I wanted to compare myself with others. That didn\’t work. I am me not someone else. I see things differently than you do. I am unique.

Rachel emphasized that a good book does not mean books sold. Was it good for you? Did you feel good about writing it? Did it touch one person?

In another class,  Rachel talked about dialogue. I love dialogue, and sometimes I feel I am heavy on dialogue. I have more dialogue than I should have. What better way to show people your character than by dialogue? She also said don\’t use tags, \”she said,\” \”he said\”, but to use action tags. Make your characters come alive with dialogue and tags.

Dialogue helps you to show tension. That is so true. I need to work more on that.

Don\’t forget to let characters talk to each other. You find out so much more about them when they do. End each scene and chapter with a hook.

This was one of the best classes I\’ve taken on dialogue. I learned so much. Wish everyone could have been there.