Be Knowledgeable

It cannot be said too often to write what you know. When we write what we know, we do it better because we are familiar with the subject. If we know about it, we are probably interested in the subject as well. It just makes sense to write what we know about.

We know what we know. We can expand on what we know by reading and listening. We know what we experience, but we also know what others have experienced by hearing them tell their tales. We read the newspapers and stories written by other authors. We read blogs and articles on the things that interest us. Each little bit of information we pick up adds to the wealth of what we know.

Writing what we know doesn't mean that we need to have first-hand experience with the subject. If this were the case, there wouldn't be a whole lot written. Most of us don't exactly have lives filled with writable experiences. Most of us coast along in a mediocre existence. Exciting things happen from time to time, but those things aren't always worth mentioning.

As we go through our lives, we register bits and pieces of information in our brains that can be easily retrieved at some later date. The more bits and pieces that we pick up, the greater the chance that our warehouse of knowledge will contain some usable tidbits. The more we pick up, the more we are likely to produce at some future date.

In other words, the hermit does not know the ways of the world. His exposure to the world is definitely minimal. Could he possibly write about the world? Absolutely! Any one that is well read gleans knowledge about the way society works and the way the world operates. Combine knowledge with skill and some imagination and even the most inexperienced traveler can create tales that will enthrall audiences.

In order to write what we know, we must continue to learn. We learn about our world and about ourselves. We learn about the wide variety of things that interest us. Along the way, we probably learn quite a bit about things that don't interest us. The latter will most likely be forgotten more quickly than the former. Without interest, there's no need to retain the information.

Everything we do, everything we learn, involves a selective process. We are more in tune to those things we like. We may also be in tune to things we hate as well. As long as there is some extreme of feeling or notable feeling, we pay attention. Those items that are middle of the road may only catch our fancy is there's nothing else demanding our attention at that moment. Otherwise, we may miss that moment completely.

It order to expand our knowledge and expand what we may easily write about, we need to overcome some of the selective processes that are in force. We need to be more aware of who and what is around us. We need to experience more even if it means experiencing it vicariously. All of this gives us precious ammunition with which to create our masterpieces.

So, what do you know? Write it.