Writers in the Storm

by Miffie Seideman

If you’ve been penning stories for any length of time, you’ve already been exposed to countless writing tips. One such tip is “Write what you know.” This well-meaning phrase is not only often misunderstood, but also creates angst and even creative blocks among writers. 

What does “Write what you know” mean? 

“Write what you know” has often been strictly interpreted as a literal directive to develop stories based only on a writer’s personal life. In other words, only write what you have personally lived and experienced. 

Oh, so wrong!

On one hand, this interpretation is very wrong. If we followed that advice, our writing repertoire would be drastically limited (not to mention boring and repetitive). It would mean I’d mostly be writing about training for triathlons or creating primers on properly dosing medication in critically ill patients. And as passionate as I am about these subjects, even I’d be bored writing yet another article on proper swim stroke technique or drug calculations. 

And…so right! 

On the other hand, “Write what you know” is perfectly correct. 

Wait! How can that be? 

Well, it boils down to definition. Importantly, it’s the meaning of the word “know” that needs to be better understood.

What does “know” really mean? 

If you ask someone what they know, after some hesitation, you’ll likely get just a list of basic talents related to work, life, or school. 

I’m a nurse. I know how to bandage wounds, take a temperature, give my patient medications…

Ask them to dig a little deeper and they might begin to uncover a wider array of knowledge. For example, nurses know the suffering of their patients and how to help ease their pain. They know the joy of healing, the grief of loss, etc. 

Encourage them to explore even deeper and the list may grow to include more intimate lessons, such as personal loss, loneliness, fears, desires, wants, disappointments, and so much more. 

Now, we’re getting to what they “know.”

Uncovering emotional truths and lived experiences

What this person has finally delved into are their deepest “lived experiences”, from emotional to physical to mental. And we all have a wealth of them. Some make us happy to recall, others not so much. George R.R. Martin has referred to these lived experiences as the “emotional truth of your own life” and suggests they help writers create more compelling stories and characters. 

So now, when you weave a nurse into your plot, she doesn’t just bandage Mr. Jones’ wound or give him his next dose of chemotherapy. She talks to him, feels for him, worries for him, and tries to support him. She’ll also be comforting his worried family. Later, she may hold his head over a bedpan while he vomits or hold his hand when he’s in pain. 

Now you try it

When I taught pharmacy students how to dose premature neonates in the ICU, they learned much better when I had them apply what I was explaining to them. It’s the same process I incorporated into The Grim Reader—not just explaining how to realistically write a perilous drug scene, but giving the opportunity to practice using exercises in every chapter.

If you’d like to have a working list of your own “knows” when you sit down to craft your next story, try this little exercise to get you started:

• Task-based “knows”:
  • Start a list of some basic, practical tasks or knowledge you’ve learned in order to function in your job, life, or career. Maybe you’re a college student and understand dorm life, cafeteria food, the challenges of noisy roommates, and the stress of studying all night for a test. Or maybe you’re an engineer, or dog groomer, or a housewife. All of these experiences offer a pool of valid “knows” to draw from when writing. 
• Life experiences:
  • Add a second list of non-work-related experiences you’ve had, such as skydiving, riding a horse, or hiking. Maybe sewing your kids’ clothes when they ripped, raising a puppy, giving birth, or breaking your arm.  
• Life Lessons:
  • Add a list of lessons you’ve learned, especially through emotionally impactful events. These can include things that are both good or bad, such as betrayal, loyalty, heartbreak, or hope.
• Raw emotions you intimately know:
  • Finally, add a list of emotions you’ve personally experienced (love, sadness, happiness, grief, etc.)

See how much you know? 

These lists help provide the tools to help you turn a character from a flat 2-dimensional protagonist to one the reader relates to, empathizes with, or even hates. They will also help you take your reader on a memorable adventure. 

What “know” doesn’t mean

It was never intended that “Write what you know” would suggest that you can only write stories involving those lists you just developed. I’m pretty sure George R. R. Martin has never seen real dragons, and yet he’s been able to develop engrossing stories, with deep, rich characters and twisty plots heavily involving these beasts. 

How? 

He didn’t restrict himself to only writing solely based on his own life experiences, but combined them with imagination, some good old-fashioned writing craft, and research. You, too, can write evocative and compelling stories that go beyond your own experiences. 

What not to do when you don’t “know”

All the first-hand knowledge about your emotional truths is not going to help you create an accurate and believable story involving a real event, place, or experience you know nothing about. The worst thing a writer can do at this stage is decide to make the facts up. Yes, imagination is key to writing. But there is a line beyond which your readers will identify you as fake (especially if they know more about the subject than you do). 

For example, a number of movies have scenes involving blatantly incorrect drug effects. From the character that instantly passes out from a chloroform-soaked rag across her face to the victim who dies within seconds of an insulin overdose—these scenes are not real. Fact has been abandoned for dramatic effect. The outcome? The reviews amongst my pharmacist, nurse, and physician co-workers have been unforgiving, saving the rest of us from the need to spend time and money on a poorly written storyline.

These kinds of errors risk pulling today’s savvy readers out of the story you’ve crafted for them. In some cases, this can end up losing readers and generating bad reviews.

Do this instead

What if your character needs to parachute to safety from an airplane, but you’ve never experienced the thrill of the free-fall before you pull your chute? Or you’re planning to have a villain knock out your heroine with a sedative, without ever having felt the effects of that kind of medication yourself? 

A good first step is to begin by making a list of the story elements you need to understand before beginning to write. Then, research, research, research! But be careful. With the internet, there’s not only a world of good information at your fingertips, but also a lot of false information. Vetting your resources will be extremely important. A few places to start include: 

Librarians

Librarians are an often-overlooked valuable resource to find valid references and books on specific subjects, such as skydiving.

Videos and documentaries

Almost any subject can be found researched through online videos. 

Specialist Interviews

Speaking directly to a specialist or someone that has lived the very experience you’re writing about is another way to gain enough knowledge to believably develop your scene. For example, in order to help writers understand the barriers a homeless character would face when seeking addiction treatment, I interviewed medical specialists working with that population, before including that information in The Grim Reader. What an eye opener that was!

Visit the location

If you have the resources, visit the area you’re writing about. Interact with the locals, see how they live, talk, work. But also, realize you’re only seeing an outsider’s viewpoint and consider asking a local resident to beta read your scenes. A less costly option for geographical research can include travel videos. From the magnificent waterfalls in Iguazu to the rock cliff walls of the Grand Canyon, travel videos can offer astounding insight.  

So, should you “Write what you know?”

Yes! But now that you understand this tip is not a restrictive edict, as well as how to apply it, you should feel much more empowered as a writer. 

Did you try the exercise on listing your “knows”? Did you make any discoveries? Has your writing been hampered by the “Write what you know” recommendation in the past? Share your experiences with other writers in the comments. 

About Miffie

Miffie Seideman has been a pharmacist for over 30 years, with a passion for helping others. Her research articles have appeared in professional pharmacy journals. She blended her passion for pharmacy and her love of writing into THE GRIM READER: Putting Your Characters in Peril (A Pharmacist’s Guide For Authors), being published January 16^th, 2024 by Red Lightening Books and Indiana University Press (on X at #ReadRLB and @iupress). She’s represented by Amy Collins with Talcott Notch Literary Services.  

An avid triathlete, Miffie spends countless hours training in the arid deserts of Arizona, devising new plots for her upcoming fantasy love story. She can be found hanging around her website http://GrimReaders.com offering tips to writers and on X @MiffieSeideman…you know…tweeting. Contact her at info@grimreaders.com/ 

Image Credits 

• Twain Quote: Depositphotos
• Dragon/fantasy:  KELLEPICS, Pixabay
• Thinking man: GDJ, Pixabay
• Syringe/needle, Miffie Seideman

by Lisa Norman

The one constant with technology these days is that it’ll change much sooner than we want it to. The speed of change is only going to increase over the next year. Adaptability is now a basic life skill.

We need to remember that not all change is bad. While it can be painful to adapt, if we focus on improving our procedures as we work through the changes, we may find that change can bring unexpected benefits.

The last couple of weeks, I’ve been going through a huge tech change in my own work, and decided to share the process that I used to survive.

Awareness

The first challenge is knowing when adaptation is required. The constant bombardment of news about changes in social media platforms, companies being bought out, and potential doomsday scenarios for different companies is overwhelming. Knowing what to listen to and what to ignore is a critical part of surviving in this modern world. How can we tell what is important and what is just noise?

My example:

I knew that one of my favorite programs (Evernote) had a new owner, and I was watching the changes, but they hadn’t affected me. The new owners changed the heart of the company’s philosophy. I don’t have a problem with a company trying to make more money — and I understand the need! — but to me, how they changed was problematic.

One of the core principles of the original program was that our notes were safe with them. The creators intended Evernote to be a second brain, a place where you could safely store stuff so that you could get to it quickly but didn’t need it to take up space between your ears. I used Evernote every day. And yes, I was a paying member.

Free users could get value from the program. Over time, even free users built up a lot of information there, and Evernote kept it safe.

The new owners have new priorities: finances. All free accounts — and many of my students are on free accounts — found themselves suddenly limited. They couldn’t create new notes, and even viewing their existing notes quickly became problematic. A second brain isn’t useful when locked behind a paywall.

When I recommend a program, my reputation is on the line.

I could no longer recommend Evernote because people’s notes were becoming inaccessible. Evernote doesn’t care. Pay us money to get your brain back. That’s harsh. That’s not something I can support or recommend. I understand they bought this company to be a cash cow and they intend to milk it. And that’s their right. But I can’t send new users to experiment with a program that is going to treat them that badly.

And if I can no longer recommend the program, then why would I stay with them?

The problem:

I had thousands of notes in the program. Again, this was my most-used software program, always open on both my computer and my phone.

The first step is becoming aware of the need to change.

Discovery

I launched into an in-depth exploration of the situation and the alternatives. There was a reason I’d been recommending Evernote.

In the discovery phase, you’re experimenting and exploring, looking through the available choices. You’re also determining when the time would be right to make the change.

Here we are at the turning of the calendar. Changing programs that are this major made sense to do in December so I could start January fresh.

Everyone knows I love World Anvil. I’d already moved my writing from Evernote to the anvil. But using World Anvil as my main note program felt like bending the anvil too far from its original purpose. I’m already using it to run a school. I think I’ve pushed the edges far enough, although any time I spend in World Anvil is the best time!

I tested many alternatives and spent some time lurking in the Evernote forums, learning from other people’s experiences. There wasn’t a clear winner, a replacement I felt comfortable recommending to everyone, but I found a few that would work and that I felt safe recommending.

Acceptance

Once you’ve decided to adapt, there’s an acceptance step. You download the new software. You study it and learn. Don’t forget this step for any new software or technology. Take a moment. Accept it into your life. Explore how it works. Run some tests.

Accept that the process of adaptation is probably going to be uncomfortable.

I use an unconventional keyboard layout. (Colemak instead of QWERTY.) A friend suggested I try it when my joints started aching. It has been a tremendous boon to my life as I no longer have constant joint pain in my fingers. But during that transition? That was agony. My brain was constantly struggling. Something as fundamental as typing became foreign.

In this adaptation, I downloaded several options on my phone and my computer and tried importing my existing notes. Eventually, I settled on OneNote because it works well with the structure of the notes I have and because it makes use of a subscription I’m already paying for.

Progress

Adaptation doesn’t happen overnight. I’ve moved all my notes into the OneNote program. Then, I closed Evernote.

Currently, I’m not opening my old Evernote unless I’m stuck in OneNote. So far, I’ve only needed it once.

There was a moment when I needed to start a note quickly while talking on Zoom. Under pressure. Being watched. And then I realized there wasn’t a button to create a note the way I wanted to because OneNote forces me to create notes in a more organized fashion than I have in the past.

After I took a breath, I learned how to do something new on OneNote and decided the transition may not be the end of my creative life. (For the way I want to use OneNote, I want to keep it more organized than my old Evernote account was. I needed to find the right notebook and then add a page to it. Took me a bit, but I found it!)

As you go through the process of adaptation, celebrate the wins. Celebrate the times of success. Remember that there will be terrible moments, but there will also be new discoveries.

Transformation

As the progress continues, you’ll start getting the benefits that you were looking for in the earlier stages. Remember: you made the choice to adapt for a reason. There is a benefit. For me, it’ll be in reduced cost and not supporting a company that I no longer believe in.

What's the outcome of my adaptation? I’m becoming even more organized, and I’ve found a lot of information that I’d lost in Evernote, things I didn’t even realize I’d lost. Sweeping out my second brain and re-organizing it has been a tremendous gift. I'm spending less money, and creating new processes that are helping in every area of my work. Since OneNote is more closely integrated with other tools I use, some bumps that I'd learned to ignore are now smoothing out. It isn't easy yet, but I can see how this change will help future me.

What are some examples of adaptations you’ve needed to make in your writing life?

About Lisa

Lisa Norman's passion has been writing since she could hold a pencil. While that is a cliché, she is unique in that her first novel was written on gum wrappers. As a young woman, she learned to program and discovered she has a talent for helping people and computers learn to work together and play nice. When she's not playing with her daughter, writing, or designing for the web, she can be found wandering the local beaches.

Lisa writes as Deleyna Marr and is the owner of Deleyna's Dynamic Designs, a web development company focused on helping writers, and Heart Ally Books, LLC, an indie publishing firm.

Interested in learning more from Lisa? Sign up for her newsletter or check out her brand new classroom where she teaches social media, organization skills, and marketing for authors!

Top image by Irina Drozd on Deposit Photos.

Essential Organization Tips for Writers

By J. Alexander Greenwood

As the new year unfolds, it's the perfect time for writers like us to reset, reorganize, and rejuvenate their creative process. Whether you're crafting mysteries, spinning tales on your podcast, or shaping influential essays, staying organized is key to success. 

Let's explore some practical ways to streamline your workflow, interspersed with personal insights and tools that I use in my own writing journey. These things help me write books, produce two podcasts, write two newsletters, run a business, and market everything I do. I did the math, and these tools and processes combined easily save me twenty hours of work a week.

1. Set Clear, Achievable Goals

Don’t get overwhelmed by expectation. Start by setting clear, attainable goals for the year. Whether it's completing a novel, growing your podcast audience, or reaching 1000 subscribers on your newsletter, having concrete objectives keeps you focused. Break these goals into smaller, manageable tasks and set deadlines to keep yourself accountable.

2. Organize Your Workspace

A cluttered workspace can lead to a cluttered mind. Dedicate time to create a writing environment that's conducive to productivity. This doesn't mean you need a complete overhaul; sometimes, a tidy desk, comfortable seating, and a little personal touch can make all the difference. 

Less is often more when it comes to a productive workspace. A minimalist approach doesn't mean a bare office, but rather a space where every item has a purpose and a place. This approach not only clears physical space but also helps in reducing mental clutter, leading to improved focus and efficiency.

For example, I made an effort to clear off my cluttered bookshelf, which is the backdrop to my Zoom calls with clients and podcast guests. I have packed it with so many books and trinkets that it looks like a thrift store bargain shelf! So, I gave away a dozen or so books and have moved some of my keepsakes elsewhere. It looks better, and other people get to enjoy some wonderful books guests on my show gifted me for review.

3. Embrace Digital Tools for Workflow Management

Leveraging digital tools is a game-changer for staying organized. For instance, I use Harvest for project management. It's a versatile tool that allows me to track my progress as a PR consultant, writer, and ghostwriter. Similarly, tools like Evernote or Google Keep are excellent for jotting down ideas and organizing research. And I simply could not keep up with producing my podcasts if it weren’t for Calendly, which creates workflows that help me automatically book, pre-interview, and communicate.

4. Time Management Techniques

Time management is crucial. Techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, where you work in focused intervals, can significantly boost productivity. I am also a big fan of the Eisenhower Matrix, which I have written and podcasted about. It helps you manage by illustrating the difference between the urgent and the important.

5. Invest in Writing and Design Software

As a writer and podcast host, I rely on a combination of writing and design software. Scrivener is a fantastic writing tool that helps in organizing complex writing projects, while Canva is excellent for designing graphics for my blogs and podcasts. 

And don’t be afraid of AI—it’s a tool (just like spellcheck, Grammarly, etc.) that can help you organize your thoughts, create images, and more. It is not a substitute for creativity—but used correctly, it will enhance your work magnificently.

These tools not only streamline the creative process but also add a professional touch to your work—and save you money.

6. Regular Reviews and Adjustments

It's important to regularly review your goals and workflow. This could be a monthly or quarterly review to assess what's working and what needs adjustment. Flexibility in your approach ensures you stay aligned with your evolving objectives. 

7. Networking and Collaboration

Don't underestimate the power of networking and collaboration. Platforms like LinkedIn or writer groups on Facebook can be great for sharing ideas, getting feedback, and staying inspired. Plus, you never know when a connection might lead to a new opportunity. The biggest reason I podcast is to network with new people. It has paid off in spades, professionally, financially, and personally.

8. Personal Development

Invest time in personal development. Attend workshops, webinars, or courses to enhance your skills. Platforms like MasterClass or Coursera offer courses on writing, marketing, and more, which can be immensely beneficial. Join a local writing group or beta circle to make friends who understand the journey you are on. Real talk: this is advice I need to heed, myself.

9. Physical and Mental Well-being

Lastly, take care of your physical and mental well-being. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate rest are crucial. If I did not work out five to six days a week, I would be in a world of hurt physically and emotionally. Get out of the house, get your blood flowing! Remember, a healthy body fosters a healthy mind, which in turn nurtures creativity. 

The Key to Successful Writing

As we step into the new year, let's embrace these strategies to stay organized and productive. Remember, the key to successful writing isn't just talent; it's also about how effectively you manage your time, workspace, and resources. Here's to a year filled with achievements, growth, and, of course, fantastic writing!

What strategies and tips keep you on track for the year? Is it one of the above, or something else entirely. Please do share with us down in the comments!

About Alex

J. Alexander Greenwood is an award-winning writer, public relations consultant, podcaster, speaker, and former journalist and broadcasting executive. He is best known as the author of the John Pilate Mysteries and host/producer of the Mysterious Goings On podcast and the PR After Hours podcast. Alex is also the author of the Amazon Top-Selling eBook/audiobook, The Podcast Option. You can read his blog at JAlexanderGreenwood.com.

Image credit: © 2023 J. A. Greenwood. Image created by AI technology. All rights reserved. This image is proprietary and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published, or broadcast without the prior written permission of the creator.