Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

My Odd and Inspiring Christmas Walk

Posted: December 26, 2014 in ideas, Living and Life, short story, Writing
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As a Jew, Christmas isn’t really my thing. In fact, I’ve been referring to it in a half-joking manner as my month-long headache. But sometimes Christmas surprises me, as it did last night.

After watching The Interview on Christmas Eve and sleeping in much later than I had meant to, I’d pretty much been a couch potato all day, catching up on the shows I’d missed out on this semester. Since I was planning on watching the Doctor Who Christmas special, I went out for a walk and stretch my legs. And what a walk it was! The air was actually much warmer than last year, there wasn’t any rain or snow, and there was hardly any traffic! Hardly any at all! You could walk right into the middle of what would normally be a very busy street and just dance! Which I did, by the way. Several times! And nobody gave me a weird look at all…not that there was anyone really around to look. And I probably wouldn’t care what anyone thought if there was someone there, anyway.

After stopping off at the local donut shop for an after-dinner snack (and for what became this morning’s breakfast), I decided to go for a walk on campus. And it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Everything was so quiet, so empty, and there was a slight mist in the air. It gave everything a strange, magical air, and I kept expecting to see something magical pop out at me (more than usual anyway). With my earbuds popped in, I ended up dancing on the Oval to some of my favorite uplifting party songs, just because I could. I then stopped by Mirror Lake, which at this time of year is lit up with Christmas lights. I don’t normally care for all the lights, but tonight it was enchanting and I really enjoyed myself.

It was at that point that I decided to head home, especially if I wanted to take a shower before the Christmas special began. And it was also at that point that something that I’d been waiting for finally happened: if you recall back in May during my study abroad trip, I began a short story called The Murderer’s Legacy that was inspired by some of the things I’d seen and read about while in London. The story was about a nobleman living in a version of Victorian England where magic is commonplace. The nobleman is being sentenced to death (or at least a very horrific version of it) for the murder of his wife, whom he did not murder. At the end of the story it’s revealed who actually murdered her and why, but by then it’s too late for the nobleman.

Something like I saw last night. You can see how inspiring it is, can’t you?

 

I thought at the time that it was a pretty good story, and that it had a lot of potential. I still do. But I felt that the version I had in the first draft wasn’t sufficient, and I had to do some major editing and rewriting in order to make the story work. This became more apparent to me as time went on, especially as some of the lessons from all the creative writing I did this last semester began to sink in, namely don’t plunge the reader into a fantastic world with a million different parts and pieces to it if you have only ten-thousand words to do it and tell a story set in that world. My first draft felt like starting Harry Potter in Book 4 or 5 and being plunged into this great big established universe, rather than being slowly introduced to that world in Book 1.

The problem was, I didn’t know how to fix this story so that it was not only simpler, but flowed better and actually told a story rather than introducing the reader to a complicated world they couldn’t take in slowly. Try as I might, I couldn’t think of a way to approach this story and edit it. Until last night, that is, when standing by Mirror Lake, something just clicked and inspiration flowed. I finally figured out how to make this story work, how to tell it in a creepy way while keeping the basic idea behind it alive. Not only that, but I had all the research materials I needed at home, so looking up what I needed for this story would be a cinch.

You can imagine the size of the smile on my face as I walked home that evening. I had all the inspiration I needed to rewrite The Murderer’s Legacy into a good story. Then I realized I have no time to work on it, with a thesis and classes to deal with. Oy vey, the life of a writer in college. It’s never easy.

Well, who knows? There may be a chance for me to still work on this story before May. I’ll have an easier workload this coming semester and that means more time for homework and writing. Maybe I’ll be able to finish Rose early and work on this and all my other projects. We can hope, right?

Well, that’s all for now. I’ve got plenty of work ahead of me, so I’m going to try and get that done. Have a good weekend and (if I don’t post again before December 31st) Happy New Year, my Followers of Fear.

Autumn Semester 2014: The Wrap-Up Report

Posted: December 22, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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A look at central campus. Isn’t it pretty?

Well, another semester has come and gone. I finally got all my grades back, so it’s time to report how my semester went.

All in all, I had a pretty good semester. It was busy (I’m still catching up on everything I DVR’ed), what with five classes and a thesis to work on. But I somehow kept up with it all, through weekends that were too short and weeks that went too fast and assignments that ate up time like Scooby Doo with a pizza. Still, things went pretty well this semester. I kept my average above a 3.0, and got decent grades. I also started eating better and look for more ways to exercise (thank you Biology class for scaring inspiring me to take better care of my health) and..what else? Oh yeah, as of today I’ve got twelve chapters written for my thesis Rose. Not bad. Hope to get two more done before the New Year. Wish me luck!

I think the area where I improved the most was in writing. Having constant feedback while you’re working on your thesis and taking the most stimulating creative writing class in your academic career, all at once, can do that to you. Some of the things I learned to do is that, when introducing a story full of characters, if you’re introducing them in a fantastic world, don’t go into too much detail and don’t expand into the whole universe too quickly. You’ll confuse the reader. Also, if said universe is based on religion or mythology, make sure that even the most unfamiliar reader can get into it. And finally (and perhaps most importantly), even if the story is full of werewolves, demons, ogres, and every other monster under the sky (or in it), your characters are human or probably humanoid. It’s a human story, and all the other stuff revolves around that human story, not the other way around. Keep that in mind and you’ll write a waaaaaay better story.

As I learned the hard way.

Well, the lessons were hard earned, but I’m taking them to heart. I hope that for future stories I can implement them and make much better, way-more-likely-to-get-published stories.

Anyway, I’ve got a little under three weeks till spring semester starts, and it should be interesting. I’ve only got three classes plus my thesis for my final semester (yeah, it’s my final semester. Four and a half months till graduation. God help me get a job before then). I’ll have plenty of time to study and to work on my thesis and–dare I hope for it?–relax with some TV in the evening.

The classes are pretty different from each other, and some of them have me pretty excited. I have a Restoration and 17th century British literature course (might prove tricky, but I’ve survived worse, such as 19th century British literature!), I’m taking a business/professional writing course with one of my favorite teachers, and–ooh, this one’s fun–for history, I’m taking a new course, taught by a new teacher, about the history of witchcraft in medieval Europe! Yeah, you read that right. My dad and one of my best friends are scared that it’ll turn out to be a how-to course. No need to worry, since I already know that sort of stuff. Mwa ha ha ha!

Well, that’s all for now. I’m going to try to enjoy my vacation as much as possible, watching the Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl and the Doctor Who Christmas Special (not in that order, though), working in the office, and writing as much as possible. Wish me luck and have a good rest of your night, my Followers of Fear.

Also, there’s about eight days and fifty-something minutes left of my holiday sale. All my books, in paperback and e-book, are on sale through the 31st, so make sure to check them out while you still can at a discount price. You won’t want to miss out on them. Don’t believe me? Then ask my reviewers!

Character Tropes That Have Got to Go

Posted: December 21, 2014 in ideas, Reflections, Writing
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Trope: a common recurring literary and rhetorical device, motif, or cliche. When referring to a character, it often refers to a common or well-known character archetype of stereotype that is instantly recognizable (ex. the noble hero, the avenging antihero, the slightly clumsy socially awkward girl in a romantic comedy, etc.)

There are hundreds and hundreds of these different tropes, each with their own special qualities and characteristics that are recognizable to many different people. Some of these tropes have even become staples in our own culture and in the stories we tell. However, there are a few that are, for many different reasons, just unusable these days. Maybe they’ve become so overused they’re a cliche, or maybe just the way society is or what psychology tells us makes such a character hard to believe in. In any case, there are character tropes and archetypes, not just in literature but on TV and in the movies as well, that just have to be retired, and I list some of them here.

I’d like to thank the people who helped to contribute to this list, including Pat Bertram for her many suggestions (though I have to disagree on serial killers. Sure, they’re overused, but there’s plenty of different ways to write them. Case in point: Snake).

So without further ado, let’s take a look at who/what needs to go:

The orphan who grows up with a heart of gold without any adult intervention whatsoever. Whether it’s Oliver Twist or Harry Potter, this character trope is pretty much the same wherever you go: a kid who grows up in an abusive environment, has never received a smile or a word of kindness from anyone, and yet still grows up with virtues to make statues of angels weep for joy. I don’t buy it. Although it’s possible for a kid to grow up that way (and usually, based on these stories, it’s a boy), it’s very unlikely. Without parental love and affection, kids can grow up to be distrustful and try to find other ways (sometimes really unhealthy ways) to replace the bond they should’ve had with their parents. Like I pointed out the other day, Harry should’ve grown up with some insecurities and trust issues, if not full on sociopathy (I might’ve written him that way anyway).

The drunk, possibly depressed cop. I’m sure there are cops who are drunk and/or depressed. But there seems to be a plethora of them in literature, and they are either meant to be tragic, comical, or go on a spiritual quest where they find the meaning in life, stop drinking, and maybe even get the girl. Unless someone finds a new slant on this trope, or it has got to go.

The killer with an intellectual disability. While I disagree with Pat on the need to get rid of serial killers, there is a strain of that sort of character I think we could do without. This strain are characters who would be classified as mentally retarded, and that’s somehow hinted by the writers (and in film and TV, the directors and actors) to be linked to their violent killing sprees. Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an example, and so is a certain character in the current season of American Horror Story (not saying who, because you know, spoilers). It’s actually rather saddening and disturbing to see this trope constantly resurfacing, because most people with intellectual disabilities are really sweet and wouldn’t harm a fly unless under extreme stress. If you’re going to create a killer with a brain problem, make it someone who kills for their own sick pleasure, rather than suggesting that it might have something to do with some intellectual disability they may have. Not only would I thank you, but I’m sure that many people with intellectual disabilities and their friends, family, and caretakers would thank you as well.

The dystopian dreamboy. I think you could actually extend this to a lot of YA stories as well, but I’m not familiar enough with the genre to make that sort of inference, so I’ll just keep it to dystopia fiction. In any case, this character shows up a lot in dystopian/YA fiction, particularly stories trying to portray a strong, female character (whether or not they do depends upon the story and personal choice). The dystopian dreamboy is very one-dimensional, their whole point is to be a romantic interest, and they have hardly any other aspects to them besides being very handsome, props the heroine up when she’s feeling down, and maybe fights or demonstrates some other helpful skill. Other than that, not much to fill that Wikia page. I’d like to see these characters either more developed or just gone.

The damsel in distress. Like our last entry, this character has very little character development or point besides being a male lead’s romantic interest. Of course, there’s a rich history of this character in literature, so it’s hard to get rid of such an archetype. However, in a world where women are taking breaking the glass ceiling in so many ways, the damsel in distress is the sort of character that we could stand to lose, because all it says is that women need a guy to save them and are otherwise helpless. Either that, or it needs a total revamping, where the damsel is at least somewhat proactive (like Allison from Snake).

The bitch who just needs some love in her life. Again, in an era where women are working hard to break the glass ceiling, this trope could be retired. Not tweaked. Retired. This trope basically says that there’s an ambitious, job-driven woman who is at the top of the business world. But she’s a little lonely, pretty stressed, and more often than not kind of bitchy. That is, until she meets this awesome, handsome guy who is sexually stimulating. And then she realizes as fulfilling as her job is, this guy is what she truly wants, and he makes her a better person, and given a choice between him and her job, she’ll take him. I don’t know, it might just be me, but I think plenty of women can be in business and find fulfillment without a guy. Or have a guy (or girl) and not have to choose between the two to get happiness. I’ve seen it plenty of times. Like my boss.

The barely-Jewish Jew. This is the one that gets my goat. Rachel Berry, Noah “Puck” Puckerman, Howard Wolowitz, Willow Rosenberg, John Munch, Dr. Chris Taub. These TV characters  are all Jewish, but if you looked only at them to form your idea of what a Jew is, you’d think that a Jew is someone who just says a bunch of Yiddish words but isn’t that different than anyone else.  Really, that’s only a small–really small, actually–portion of the Jewish population. I’d really like to see more Jewish characters eating kosher, maybe being involved in synagogue activities or doing Israel activism or something. Show some Hasidic Jews or some modern Orthodox or Conservative Jews who like the Ramones and go to day school (I had a friend or two like that). And for more than one guest episode, thanks! The only character who bucked the trend was Ziva David on NCIS, but the actress who played her left the show, so what’s left?

What are your thoughts on these choices?

What are some character tropes and archetypes that you need to be retired? Any you want to be resurrected?

Pointing Out the Plot Holes

Posted: December 12, 2014 in Reflections, Writing
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I come from a family where it’s typical for most of us to obsess over certain TV shows, books or movies. One of those things that we love is Harry Potter. Around my mother’s house you will find copies of each book (sometimes more than one), the movies on DVD or VHS, a couple of wands and my mother’s acceptance letter to Hogwarts (apparently you can get those), and a few other knickknacks. Plus two very strange cats. When I told my mom that on Pottermore I’d been sorted into Slytherin, she considered not talking to me for a while (but does that choice surprise any of you?). And at some point soon, my mom and her partner, my stepmom, will be heading down to Florida, where my mom plans to visit Harry Potter World.

But that doesn’t mean that we’re above poking fun at the thing we love or pointing out the flaws. For example, my family is pretty much in agreement that the fact that Harry grew up with the Dursleys and was such a good person despite the abuse and isolation he suffered is very improbable. As I finished the conversation one evening after a long car-ride discussing HP, “At the very least he should have some self-esteem and trust issues. At the very worst he should be a full-on sociopath to rival Voldemort in evil.”

“I grew up in a broken home. Don’t mess with me, baldy.”

One of these days I’ll have to revisit the trope of the righteous orphan in literature, but now is not the time or the place.

The point is, this small flaw is one of a few that people could point out and make a big deal about in the HP series. In fact, if you look at many different works of literature, TV shows, and movies, you’re bound to find something that doesn’t make sense if you really think about it. Even if you don’t count the prequels, there’s some stuff about the Star Wars films that don’t add up (*cough* Princess Leia’s adoption and royal status *cough*). All of Frozen could’ve been avoided if the King and Queen had actually tried to help their daughter instead of trying to shut up her growing powers (but where would the fun in that be?). And don’t get me started on some of the stuff that happens in some comic books and superhero films. Or Hunger Games.

And there are people who LOVE pointing out these flaws to audience, sometimes making it difficult to enjoy these things ever again. How It Should Have Ended, CinemaSins, Nostalgia Critic, so many more. These guys love deconstructing these things and pointing out their flaws. It’s enough to make you want to root out every plot hole you can find in your story so that you don’t get caught in the web of these guys. Or you might just be too afraid to write at all.

The thing is, no story is perfect. Harry Potter is one of the bestselling franchises in the world, yet it’s not free of flaws. And look at Doctor Who! I’m a huge Whovian, yet I’ll admit that it sometimes  falters in the stories it tells (honestly, I thought I’d throw a shoe at the TV after I saw Kill the Moon. What an awful story that makes no sense!). Heck, I’ll admit I have stories that aren’t problem-free. The latter half of Snake has been criticized in the past of being slightly a little hard to justify (though not outside the realm of possibility). And if I learned one thing from my creative writing class, my short stories “Evil Began in a Bar” and “What Happened Saturday Night/Frauwolf”, will need several drafts. Heck, the latter is going to need one more draft before I can even think about submitting it somewhere. Don’t even get me started on the former.

What you have to keep in mind is that you can’t stress over the teeniest, tiniest detail and hoping there’s not something some blogger or YouTube producer or whatever is going to seize upon and make it into a reason to destroy the book. First worry about the big stuff. For example, if you have a plot that basically goes “In a world everyone has a gun but no one uses them, until someone does”, people are going to definitely look at that one and be like, “Say what?” Hash out the big details first. Then worry about the smaller ones. And know that you won’t get them all. Just try and make sure the ones you don’t get are ones that won’t really matter in the end.

“You are of questionable royal lineage and you will need to undergo a blood test. Take her away!”

Sure, Princess Leia’s adoption would probably draw some questions, maybe even the attention of the Empire. Doesn’t mean that it has to draw the attention of the Empire and Leia’s real father Vader. Or that Star Wars isn’t still one of the most awesome stories in the universe (and I count even the prequels, though I’m a little iffy on Episode III).

Keep that in mind for your own work as well. Nothing’s ever perfect, but it can still be great.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Hope you enjoyed this slightly-rambling post. I’m taking the rest of the night off. You have a good one, and remember to check out my big holiday sale. All books are marked down till December 31st, so check them out now while you got the chance.

Pleasant nightmares.

Snake: Six Months Since Publication. Also, a Holiday Sale

Posted: December 10, 2014 in Living and Life, Novel, Review, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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snake

How far would you go for love and revenge?

Boy, do I have plenty of good news to share with everyone. Including the publication of two of my stories in Strange Portals, today is the six month anniversary of the publication of my second novel, Snake. Maybe because I’ve been so busy this past semester, but it feels like so much longer since that book came out.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Snake yet, it’s a thriller novel following a young man who dons a mask and becomes a dangerous serial killer in order to save the woman he loves. It’s gotten some very good reviews since it came out, and I’m quite proud of how it’s done. Here’s what some people have said since Snake has come out:

Rami Ungar makes a promise to (the reader) in all his writings: he WILL scare you, and if he does “his job is done.” Snake will scare you. I am a huge Stephen King fan, so this should give you some idea of my tolerance level for gore, death and mayhem – I was scared. Rami takes you into places you would never have believed possible, and manages to pull his hero (and eventually his heroine) out of them against all odds. If you like to be scared. If you LOVE to be scared. You should read this book.

Angela Misri, author of Jewel of the Thames

Quite gripping story. enjoyed a lot reading this.

Jyoti

Well, I took yet another vacation where I made my family “just wait until I finish this chapter.” This page-turning read was another great effort by Rami. He is not afraid to take risks in plot twists and turns, character development and he takes the reader on quite the journey in this book. So looking forward to his next creation!

Michele Kurland

And partly in honor of this milestone, but mostly because of the holiday season, all my books are on sale from today December 10th through December 31st. This includes e-books and paperbacks getting marked down. So if you haven’t read The Quiet Game, Reborn City, or Snake yet, this is the best time to do so. Especially if you want or need something new and different to read this month.

So anyway, I hope you decide to check out any of my books, as well as Strange Portals (which, by the way, is free to download). And if you like, or if you dislike, what you read, please let me know. Just leave me a comment or write a review. I would love to hear what you say.

Well, that’s all for now. Happy reading and happy holidays, my Followers of Fear. You are all, as far as I’m concerned, a gift to me.

Self-Pub Authors: Writing a Blurb for Your Book Cover

Posted: December 9, 2014 in Journalism, Writing
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It’s been a while, but I’ve written a new article for Self-Published Authors Helping Other Authors. This one is called Writing a Blurb for Your Book Cover and has some wonderful tips for writing that little summary on the backs of books that you read before you decide whether or not you want to invest time and money in reading this book.

If you like the article, please let me know. And if you like what you read and want to read more, please check out the rest of the website. Self-Published Authors Helping Other Authors is a website from indie authors, by indie authors, and for indie authors in order to help authors write, edit, market, and publish in an easy and affordable manner. You never know what bit of advice might help you publish that next big novel.

All for now. See you later, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got to get to class.

“Buried Alive” and “Travelers of the Loneliest Roads” Have Been Published In “Strange Portals” Anthology

Posted: December 7, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Some exciting news to share with you all. I’ve been holding off until I had some more details, but it’s out now and I’ve got to share it with you all.

Last month I received word from colleague and fellow author Joleene Naylor that she was putting together an anthology of horror/paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy short stories for a holiday season release and she was looking for submissions. Despite my crazy busy life I did some editing on two short stories of mine, “Buried Alive” and “Travelers of the Loneliest Roads”, and sent them in. I’m extremely pleased, grateful, and proud to say that they both got into the final anthology!

I’d like to thank Joleene for this awesome opportunity (you should seriously check out her blog, the link for which is above), and I’d encourage you to check out the anthology “Strange Portals”, which contains works from several different authors, including AK Stein, Adan Ramie, Roxanna Matthews, Jolene, myself, and many more. Right now the anthology is only available from Smashwords as an e-book (the link to download it is right here), but it’ll be available for Amazon soon (and I’ll be updating this post when it is, so keep an eye out for that update). Did I mention it’s free to download? Well, it’s free to download. So that’s even more incentive to check it out.

Well, that’s all for now. I’m really excited, as you can understand. I’m even listening to my go-to celebration song, “Voodoo Child” by Rogue Traders, playing now, that’s how excited I am. I’m taking the rest of the night off, my Followers of Fear. You have a good one, okay?

*Update: As of December 9th, the Amazon link was posted. It costs $0.99 because Amazon never does anything free, but what are you going to do? Anyway, the link is here if you want to check it out. I certainly will.

What Happened Saturday Night: Third Draft Finished

Posted: December 6, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Reflections, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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I’m not sure how I did it. I’m not sure I care to know how I did it. I just know that I finished the third draft of “What Happened Saturday Night”, formerly known as “Frauwolf”. And boy, what a writing marathon that was! I just didn’t stop writing.

After hearing the criticisms of my classmates, I went through the story, adjusting the first half or so (the half they really liked) and then completely rewrote everything past page 7 or so (the half they disliked). Throughout the editing and rewriting I tried to keep in mind that, even though this was a werewolf story, it was also a story about two people who really care about each other. A story about human interaction, in other words. And isn’t that all literature? It’s about how humans interact with each other and/or their environment. Even in ghost stories, it’s about human interaction, about confronting our fear of mortality and the afterlife.

I’d do well to remember that for future stories, and not try to create an amazing, complicated universe before working on the human aspect. Perhaps now that I’ve written it down I will.

Anyway, I also played around with some of the already apparent symbolism in the story–using a werewolf as a metaphor for awakening to sexuality, I wonder how many others have used that one? Probably a few–as well as switching the story to present tense. I actually had originally planned to do the second draft in present tense, seeing as Rose is written that way as well, but at some point I slipped back into my standard past tense. Well, it’s closer to what I’d planned, and the ending works better now than it did in the second draft, so I’m hoping my teacher approves.

And speaking of endings, when I was typing out the last words of the story, my iTunes started playing “Va, pensiero”, an Italian opera piece as sung by Russell Watson. It’s such a beautiful piece, and it seemed to fit the ending of the story so well.  I think that’s a good sign for this draft.

Anyway, I sent it off to my teacher. She’ll review it and let me know what she thinks. Hopefully I’ll get some good feedback on this story. Because of the LGBT themes, I figure I could send it to a magazine that specializes in that sort of literature. I’ve already found a few that might be good fits. Fingers crossed that they like what I send them.

Well, I’m tired, it’s very late, and I’ve got more work to do tomorrow (still got a thesis to get through, after all). I’ll see you guys in the morning.  Goodnight my Followers of Fear. Don’t let the werewolves bite.

What Happened Saturday Night: Critique Day

Posted: December 3, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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You may also know this story by its original title, Frauwolf. It’s still the same story as well, about a girl who’s a werewolf and who is in a relationship with another girl. And its second draft got critiqued in my creative writing class.

Luckily this time I won’t have to rewrite the whole damn story again, or I might seriously turn into a werewolf myself and go on a rampage  (boy, wouldn’t that make for an interesting horror movie). My classmates found this draft much easier to read and felt that the first half was awesome, that the language was superb and that the emotions between the two main characters felt real. Most of all they were glad I’d changed the story from a crazy fast-paced psycho-drama that left little time to linger on the actual story and made it more about the characters themselves.

The thing they didn’t like is that near the end of the story I add a new character, who happens to be a psychopath, and it just takes the story in a bad direction. Well, in my defense I had only so many days to finish the new draft and I was pressed for time, so when I got stuck I went with what first came to mind.

In any case, I only have about half a short story to rewrite rather than a full short story, and I have to turn in a third draft by next Wednesday. God help me, because I have an eight-page Shakespeare paper due the day before and I still have three and a half pages left. Plus I’m still figuring out where to go with this short story of mine. Boy, is my life crazy!

Well, I’m going to turn in. I’ve had a long day, I’m exhausted, and I need my rest if I’m going to tackle either of these tomorrow. Wish me luck Followers of Fear, because I have a feeling I’m going to need all the luck I can get. Goodnight, everybody.

How Your Teachers Expect You to Write What You Know, & How You Actually Write What You Know

Posted: November 30, 2014 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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There are various phrases and maxims that authors just dread hearing. “Nobody wants to read that sort of thing.” “Where do you get your ideas?” “Adverbs are your enemy.” That sort of thing. Here’s one that’s been espoused by creative writing teachers, how-to books, and maybe even your parents since writers have tried to teach would-be writers how to write:

“Write what you know.”

By this, they typically mean draw on your personal experience in life to write your stories. Anything you learned from steady research or anything you made up in your head, please leave at the door before opening up your notebook/turning on your computer/sitting down in front of the typewriter. Please keep this in the realm of experience and what is possible rather than what you imagine. If it’s not based on your actual knowledge and life, then you should stay away from it.

Most writers hear that and want to barf. A few do.

There are variety of reasons why no one wants to subscribe to this rule. Some see their lives as too boring or unworthy for writing about. Others feel that their own lives are too small and they don’t want to restrict themselves to just their own subjective experiences. And many (myself included) are attracted to things that can’t be personally experienced (usually, anyway), so they find that rule way too restricting to actually be usable.

I remember back in elementary school or junior high, my dad, my sisters and I were driving home from somewhere or other, and somehow the topic of discussion got onto the sort of stories I write. My dad suggested that I try, instead of vampires and cavemen and Frankenstein monsters and pirates I try writing a story about my own personal life. My reply was something along the lines of, “So you’re saying I should write a story about a Jewish kid who has rabbis for parents and has three annoying sisters?”

My dad’s reply was, “Um, yeah. Maybe.”

I think in that car ride I swore that I would never write based on what I know if it meant writing that sort of story. Let’s face it, it’s just not in my DNA. I can’t write those coming-of-age stories about a kid learning to be an adult in a community of religious Jews or about a man working his way up the corporate ladder at the expense of his humanity and marriage. Not unless those stories involve ghosts, demons, monsters, or serial killers. Otherwise it’s just boring for me, and no writer wants to write a boring story, one they personally can’t get into.

I also swore that I wouldn’t take writing advice from my dad again, though I broke that promise when he ended up giving me pretty good advice, such as “don’t be afraid to open yourself to new experiences” and “maybe you should look into writing and publishing short stories.” Now there’s some good advice for writers!

Seriously doubt these books were written with the rule “write what you know.”

I also did end up writing about stuff I know, but not in the way a high-and-mighty literary writing instructor might think. Probably not in the way my dad thought either. I certainly don’t write stories about college seniors living with a roommate and trying to get the grades and make ends meet. But I do include what I know in other ways.

For example, in a recent story that I wrote, the protagonist and narrator, in addition to having to deal with being a werewolf, also has to deal with the fact that she has feelings for her best friend, who is a girl. When I was coming to the realization of my own sexuality, I felt the same sort of fear and anxiety my narrator feels in the story, and I had a number of the same questions, such as “Would people accept me as I am?” “Am I really this way?” “How many things could go wrong if I came out of the closet?” Just because it was an element of a werewolf story did not make it any less meaningful or not based on my life.

Another example is one based on something my dad told me once (this is becoming a dad-centric post, isn’t it? Abba, I hope you appreciate all these mentions). He once told me that a great-aunt of his was well known for having dreams where she encountered the dearly departed. This inspired a novel involving a large family of Jews of many generations and their own dealings with the supernatural. I base this work on that story my dad told me as well as my own experiences with the supernatural (and I’ve had some freaky ones, to be sure).

Yes, I have experience with this.

In short, for me writing what I know is taking things I know about or have experience with and making them part of a larger story, often with fantastic or terrifying elements. It’s what works for me, and it’s what I love doing.

Of course, this is my version of how this works. For others, it may be different. There may be writers who write entirely based on what they know and what they’ve experienced, and there may be others who write absolutely nothing based on their real lives (I have a feeling that many fantasy writers are like this). It’s a bit of a spectrum, if you think about it in a certain way.

But like I said, every author is different, and no rule works for every author. “Writing what you know” is a prime example of that. It works for some people, and it doesn’t work for many. It all depends on the author, what they like working on, and how much they want to put their own lives in their stories, among other things. I’m the kind of guy who will take elements of my life or my own knowledge and put it into the stories as part of a larger whole rather than as the entire basis for a story. And that’s just how I work. For others, it’s quite different, but I think that’s good. Because no two writers are the same, and that means that no writer is going to produce the same kind of story.

To me, that’s really exciting.

Do you use any elements from your own life in your stories?

How do you do it?

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