Sink or Swim

Would you like to know a secret?

Well if I tell you, it won't be a secret anymore. But I suppose I'll tell you anyway.

I can't swim.

You heard me.

I can't swim, and I'm writing a book that takes place almost entirely in the water. Doesn't really seem possible, right? If you think so, you'd be right. I'm flying blind here (or maybe swimming blind, eh?). Realistically, I barely even know what I'm doing.

But it's where the story wants to be written, so I do it.

Why am I telling you this?

Because I'd like to explain something to you that not many writers (or writing teachers, or experts on creative writing) will tell you.

You know that whole "write what you know" thing? Yeah, that's not necessary for the information age.

We have these lovely little things called computers (and mobiles, and kindles, and iPads...) that allow us to access this wonderful database called Google (and bing, and dogpile, and yahoo...). So we don't need to write what we know from experience. We're free to write what we know from knowledge, lacking any experience.

I've been in the water before, so I know what that feels like. But I've never been able to keep myself afloat, so I have no idea what it's like to do something like that.

Fortunately, other people do. And they've described it, in detail, online.

So in truth, we don't have to write what we know. We can write whatever we're able to obtain knowledge about, and for we science-fiction and fantasy buffs, fudge the lines and make it work along the way, sink or swim.


Don't forget to tell me what you'd like to see for my 100th!

http://ranidivine.blogspot.com/2014/08/eight-one.html

[love]

{RD}