Writers Need Life Experience
I was going to write a blog about how I keep running out of time to write at the moment. But then, I made a similar comment in the Newbie Writers Forum and received an answer along the lines of “Well, enjoy your life and take a break from writing then.” That got me thinking, all writers need real life experience or there won’t be anything to write about.
Whether you write factual articles, fiction, poetry, or copywrite advertisements for business, you need to have some knowledge about the topic you write about. Although good writers will always build on personal experience with thorough research, readers can tell when the writer really has no idea or if the writer knows about this experience first hand (or at least second hand).
So, as I relax and unwind from a busy year and meet up with family and friends over Christmas drinks or at the church services, I’ll be listening to my friends’ stories and storing up ideas to write about in 2010. I may not take a pen and paper to the party (I find people stop talking if they think I’m taking notes!), but I’ll at least have one in the car to jot down my ideas before heading home. Life is about sharing experiences with other people, and writers need this experience to add a depth to any style of writing.
This Christmas, I may not write much, but I will learn a lot while I enjoy the experiences life has to offer me at the moment. What will your life experiences add to your writing in 2010?
