Write what you know.

It’s good advice but so easy to misinterpret.

Taken to the illogical extreme, writers wouldn’t be allowed to write anything beyond their own lived experiences, and that would kill a lot of good writing. You can create whole worlds with a decent amount of research, imagination, and empathy, so why wouldn’t you?

I think the point is to write what you know emotionally. You can write about heartbreak or loneliness or joy if you’ve lived it. How you infuse those emotions into your characters is up to you.

The horror story just published on Gavagai is a little bit of my real emotions, but it’s also based on my secret fears (knowing all too well what life is like for kids who are “different”), and I’m glad it isn’t reality. Hope it resonates with you.