Write What You Know: What it really means in fiction writing (& what it doesn't)
- Fiction Yogi
- Jun 2
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 3
In this article we'll consider:
The write what you know myth
The write what you know truth
Adapting what you do know
Using write what you know as a springboard
Know what you write
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“Write what you know” is one of the oldest—and most misunderstood—pieces of advice dished out to writers. Often thrown around in creative writing workshops and in writing guides, this phrase can be equal parts empowering, limiting, and utterly confusing.
So what does it really mean to “write what you know”? And what doesn’t it mean? Let’s unpack it.
The Myth: You can only write about your own experiences of life
Many new writers understandably interpret “write what you know” to mean they must only write fiction drawn directly from their personal experiences. That's fine if you have a career or hobby you're passionate about, such as law enforcement or Greek mythology, and can adapt what you've learned into fictional stories.
But if you haven’t fought in a war, lived on a spaceship, or solved a murder mystery, how could you possibly write about those things?
The truth is, if taken literally, the "write what you know" advice would disqualify you from writing virtually all speculative fiction, historical fiction, thrillers, fantasy, and more—and discredit a great majority of the authors who've written them before you.
So, clearly that’s not the statement's real intent.
The Truth: Write what you emotionally understand
At its core, “write what you know” is not about lived experience—it's about emotional truth.
You may not have been a spy in 1940s Berlin, but you know what it’s like to be afraid, to lie, to protect someone, to want something desperately. Those emotions are what connect you to the story.
Good fiction is rooted in authenticity. Readers don’t need you to have lived through the plot, in the same way readers don't need to have lived through it themselves in order to engage with it. They only need to believe the characters lived through it.
In the YouTube video, "Stop chasing original ideas—here's what actually makes you creative", Lofi Cinema essentially describes how writers and filmmakers have reinterpreted the concept of "write what you know" to create compelling storylines that grip audiences. They take their own emotional experience (e.g. a personal issue, such as lack of financial security), find a metaphor to represent it (floating in the void), then adapt it into a plot (a space thriller, as per Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity).
However you do it, if you can tap into real feelings—grief, jealousy, longing, joy—your story will resonate no matter how extraordinary its plot.
What you do know is a treasure chest
It's easy to look at our lives and feel creatively uninspired. For me, writing about my own life is the last thing I want to do; my fiction and my reality are two very separate things and I prefer to keep them that way! But in fact, our life experience, education, passions, quirks, hometown, subcultures are all raw materials for storytelling, and will inevitably—consciously or not—work their way into our fiction in familiar but also original ways.
For example:
If you grew up in a small town, you understand the feeling of being watched, and how quickly gossip spreads.
If you’ve worked in a hospital, you know how chaos and calm co-exist.
If you’re a parent, you know how the complex, powerful, and contradictory mix of love, frustration, and fear feels.
Whatever your lived experiences, you will have insights that can add realism and texture to any story and any genre, from literary to sci-fi.
Use "write what you know" as a springboard—not a fence
You don’t need to be a time traveller to write time travel (thank goodness!). But if you know what it’s like to regret a decision, you can write a character desperate to go back and change the past.
Know loss? Write a dragon grieving for its mate.
Know heartbreak? Let your android character experience it for the first time.
Know bureaucracy? Imagine it in a dystopian empire.
Instead of limiting your creativity, use "write what you know" as your starting point, then let your imagination run riot.
Better advice: Know what you write
A modern, more helpful version of write what you know might be: Know what you write. This means:
Do your homework. For example, if you’re writing about a place you’ve never been, study it. Google Maps is a perfect starting point for your geographical research—getting eyes on a place is a good way to get a feel for it, and may spark ideas. (Just be warned—it's also a fantastic procrastination tool!)
Talk to people. Firsthand accounts and interviews are gold. Again, we're lucky these days to have an endless supply of people's experiences and opinions at the touch of a button; we also have an easy way of reaching out to people, via email, social media, or online groups.
Empathize deeply. Think beyond stereotypes and clichés. Whatever your initial emotional response is, take a moment to go deeper into it. For example, a mother tells her teenage daughter she's expecting another baby—is the daughter's first reaction a happy one? Or might more complex emotions come into play?
Test your assumptions. Sometimes it's difficult NOT to write what we know (or think we know). Where you're able, challenge your biases before they're committed to the page. Pause, think, consider how you can make your story more realistic, original, or emotionally compelling and believable.
Research, curiosity, and empathy allow you to write plots wildly beyond your direct experience and present characters of different backgrounds, cultures, or identities to your own. After all, stretching your imagination—losing yourself temporarily in other identities and other lives—is precisely what the craft of fiction writing is all about, and what makes it fun.
Finally...
At the heart of good fiction is always truth. Not factual truth, but emotional truth. If you can make the story feel real, readers will follow you anywhere—even to a galaxy far, far away.
So yes, write what you know—but let that knowledge be emotional, psychological, sensory, and human. Then layer in your imagination, your research, and your wonder, and watch your story come to life.
Have thoughts on this topic? How has “write what you know” helped—or hindered—your writing? Share in the comments!
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Tina Williams of Fiction Yogi is a copyeditor and proofreader who works with writers at all stages, giving them the tools to improve their manuscript and level up their writing so they can meet their publishing goals.
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