Write What You Like

Kevin Coolidge


Every beginning writer asks, “What should I write?” The answer most often given is write what you know. This advice often leads to terrible stories in which nothing interesting ever happens. What if Mark Twain only wrote what he knew? He would never have written A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, because I’m pretty sure that he never did find that portal to medieval England.

Better advice, according to Austin Kleon, author of Steal like an Artist, is to write what you enjoy. He recounts seeing the movie, Jurassic Park, when he was just ten years old. The dinosaurs, the excitement, the velociraptors shredding the big game hunter to tasty kibble—He loved it!

Austin couldn’t wait for a sequel. He ran home and typed one out. He didn’t know it at the time, but what he wrote is called fan fiction. Fan fiction is fictional stories based on characters that already exist and created by other writers. Writers influence writers. We are drawn to certain stories because they inspire us. Make us think. All fiction, in essence, is fan fiction.

Write the kind of story you enjoy the best. Write the story you want to read. When you are at a loss of what to write, just ask yourself, “What would make a better story?” Think about your favorite stories and favorite authors. What did they miss? What could have been better? If they were still alive, what would they be writing today?

Steal someone else’s idea? How about producing something original? A beginning writer may stare into the abyss, but a good writer can’t wait for the abyss to stare back. Nothing comes from nowhere, and nothing is completely original. So embrace influence.

You will not become a good writer without some foundation in technique. Without being exposed to the possibilities of language. Learn to add suspense to your story by following Stephen King. Pick up your pacing by keeping sentences lean like Ernest Hemingway. Produce and push yourself to your limits like Philip K. Dick by using copious amounts of amphetamines.*

The goal is not to become a clone. The goal is to enjoy writing by reading the authors you enjoy reading. Learn their secrets, explore your own style, and find your own unique voice.

How do you be creative? Always be reading. Where do you get ideas? Copy your favorite passages. How do you begin to write? By searching. The answers are simple. You write. Write what? Write anything. Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started…

*This column does not recommend you take amphetamines like Dick, though an occasional espresso might be justified. It should be remembered that your favorite writers are human too: Phillip K. Dick wrote science fiction at a time when it did not pay very well. Though an excellent writer, and brilliant man, he felt the need to produce more material. Dick often suffered from paranoia and schizophrenia and his writing reflected this. Almost a dozen of his short stories and novels have beeen produced into Hollywood movies. Unfortunately, he died impoverished as a relatively young man. Hemingway self medicated with alcohol and ultimately committed suicide, and King has more demons than those he puts to paper. We can learn from the masters of fiction by copying their style, but we don’t have to adopt all their behaviors.

Write what you know? Or know what you like? Drop me an email at from_my_shelf@yahoo.com. Miss a past column? You know you want to catch up at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com. Hobo the cat wrote a children’s book about what he knew. His journey to what he wanted…a better life.