19. write what you know?
huzzah, another vague prompt!
do i interpret it as a prompt to write about something that i know well? probably not, since it's a question. so i guess i'll just explore the idea of familiarity in writing...
there are a lot of ways you can measure the strength of a writer. you can examine how well their writing flows, how interesting their points of discussion are, how eloquently they present their ideas and arguments. but one important thing you can also measure is their versatility in writing about different subjects. a really skilled writer can whip up a thrilling tale about watching paint dry. or convince someone with no interest in sports to read a review of the entirety of the 2018 world cup. or make economics sound interesting!! (sorry to all my economics-loving friends out there. you do you.)
again, i'm not an english major or anything like that, so i'm not sure how eclectically proficient professional writers have to be. but i'd guess that they have to be able to write for a number of situations. i mean ya gotta earn ya degree somehow, yeah?
with that in mind, idk if this scenario that i'm gonna discuss would even happen in the first place. who knows? let's take a look at it just for funsies though.
so. let's say you have someone who builds their entire world around writing about what they know - uh, economics? so definitely not me. ':) luckily, this person is a good writer and has a successful career. but they never get to go outside their comfort zone and write about other topics.
...um. yeah. sounds boring, doesn't it?
...
that story probably seemed like it was going somewhere relevant. it wasn't. i'm sorry. today is not my day for writing about writing...
don't get me wrong, i think it's pretty normal to have a writing shtick. like if rick riordan decided to suddenly start an adult political thriller series, i'd drive down to texas and politely ask him what the frick happened to him. that is, if i had a license. and parental permission. and a cowboy hat. yee-haw!
but i think it's good to try exploring different areas of writing. trying a new style, genre, or subject matter may lead to surprising results! for example, did you know that one of the first drafts of harry potter was set in a dystopian future with a secret techno-elite society? jk rowling later swapped out technology for magic and changed it to a modern setting and bam! the rest is history. isn't that neat??
...i'm kidding. but that would be hilarious if it were true. maybe it is true!! who knows?? it could be jk's deepest/darkest secret...
anyway, as usual, i've lost sight of the point of this post. so! if you ask me, people should try experimenting with their writing until they find a shtick that works for them. and after that, they should still continue to try new things every now and then to see how it goes. variety is the spice of life!!
side note: i really need to cut back on the cheesy aphorisms...
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