Write What You Know

The earliest advice I remember receiving when I told people I wanted to be a writer was that successful writers "write what they know."  While I understand the sentiment behind the saying, I have learned it's not completely accurate. 

I think good writers write.  A lot.  And in that writing, they learn what they know.  Fiction is just that, fiction.  It is not what you know, but often a world you can imagine fully and love completely.  The secret is to so believe in the world that you have created that you can make it feel real - and that you know it completely. 

As I have written poetry, children's stories, short stories and even attempted novels over the years, what I know has continually crept into my writing.

I know what it looks like to be a dreamer.
I know what it feels like to lose someone you love.
I know what it means to be a little on the outside.
I know what it feels to be comfortably average.

I know how freeing tears can be.
I know how constraining fear can be.

I know that no one is perfect.

I know I am not perfect.

I know that faith changes you.
I know that passion is necessary for life.
I know that giving is more powerful than receiving.
I know that friendships craft my experiences.
I know that love is worth fighting for.
I know that your history doesn't have to dictate your future.
I know that not knowing is part of the journey.
I know that the world can be a better place.

I know the world is not as dark as it seems.

I know I have a story to tell.