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| Could the writer have possibly made it up? |
"Write what you know" = "Write where your passion lies" ... if that passion is with SciFi, then that's what you should focus on. That will be your best chance because your passion will show up on that paper. Even if it's raw, even if "polished" isn't even in sight - if your passion is in that script of yours - you can bet your next screenwriting commission that film biz people will recognize it.
But back to the hospital for a moment. If you are that nurse and you have a passion for it - then by all means write your hospital script. You'll have the double whammy - passion and experience - no research required (that is, actually, the only benefit you have from the literal "write what you know").
I absolutely believe that I can write whatever I am passionate about - and that goes for every single one of us writers. Tell you the truth, most pros can write in any case, passion or no passion - but that's another story.
5 comments:
Very inspiring I must say :o)
I don't agree.
Put it into reverse: How can you write something that you don't know?
You can't, it's a philosophical impossibility.
So the answer to "Write what you know" is "Find out". Now for SF and Fantasy "find out" might well be just inventing it, but it's still finding out.
And then you write what you now know.
Passion isn't relevant - because you cannot be passionate about something you don't know.
:-P
Hey Steve - good to hear from ya! You're partially making my point. Of course you need to know what you write about - but that's called research! The trap many new writers fall into is that they take the "write what you know" too literally and hence squeeze themselves into a tight corner.
As for "passion isn't relevant" ... you better be kidding, my friend!
Ah, you misapprehend on the passion: I'm just being obvious again: "One cannot be passionate about something one doesn't know." A stupidly obvious thing.
I'm not saying passion has nothing to do with writing - but it comes after you "know".
As for research ... well, perhaps I better write a new blog on it because I think this relates to what people usually call "writer's block".
This could turn into a philosophical argument. Is what you're saying really true? One cannot be passionate without knowledge? How about religion, life, death, angels, spirits, Nessy, Atlantis - how about inspiration, being kissed by the muse, a sudden spark - I'd say there's plenty of passion possible without the knowledge to ground it. I do believe I can get passionate about something I just dreamed up (matter of fact, I just did yesterday - no knowledge - out of the blue the character (incl. name) and story were there and I had an instant passion for it - without an ounce of knowledge :-)
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