Writing: What You Can Know

So they say you have to write what you know.

In our last post, we came to the conclusion that we actually know more than we thought, which is good. But still, is it enough to write about an epic journey into outer space? Or about a prima ballerina in the School of American Ballet?

Probably not. So do we have to ditch the idea and stick with the life of a boy in rural Indiana (which could still be adventurous, but not exactly what we’re looking for)?

No we don’t.

Because this is where we get to what you can know. And that is pretty much anything!

Let’s say you want to write a novel about a runaway slave in ancient Rome. There are two categories of information you will need for this.

The first category you already have.

This is knowledge about people, life, emotions, relationships, feelings, memories, weather, travel, and experiences. This part of it is what will resonate with readers and make them feel your characters are real people. This will involve the hearts of your readers. And the great news is you already have this, as we discussed in the last post, Write What I Know? Do I Have To?.

The second category you can acquire.

This is the part that involves the actual facts of what living in ancient Rome was actually like. This involves extensive research.

Don’t be scared of that term “extensive research”.

I was until I realized that if you’re writing about something that excites you—something you love—you’ll relish the information-gathering process because it actually interests you! And as a fiction author, you have complete freedom to pursue stories that truly interest you.

Anyway, back to the second category. For this, you have to ask a lot of broad questions and a lot of narrow questions.

Broad: What were the living conditions for the elite in Rome? How did they treat their slaves? What was the basic structure of the government? What was the climate/weather like during the time your story takes place? What did they eat? What did they wear? What did they do for recreation? How did they spend most of their time? What did their homes look like? What was life like for slaves? How much freedom did they have? How possible would it have been for one to escape? What were the punishments if he/she were caught?

That sounds like a lot. And that doesn’t even begin to cover everything.

Asking narrower questions, you could get into the specific foods and wines they consumed, the material their clothing was made of, the kind of artwork they hung on their walls, the breeds of livestock they kept, and etc. etc. etc.

But the great news is, you have the resources and ability to answer these questions and more! Now that we have the Internet (in addition to the library *yay yay*), the possibilities are limitless. There are so many sites and resources and books about ancient Rome, not to mention professors, archaeologists, and other professionals who have spent their lives studying this subject. Imagine the knowledge you could glean from them!

The bottom line is when you combine the two categories—what you know about how life and people work, and extensive research about your chosen subject—there is no limit to what you can write (not even the sky. Write about a trip outside the solar system if you want!).

What interests you? If you’d like, share your newest story idea in the comments below.

Or do you feel totally stumped about what questions to ask or what direction to head in your research? Ask away in the comments, and I’ll be happy to help.