Published in Writing Magazine, August 2023
My first non-genre piece. I’m very proud of this, and hope that people found (and find) it useful.
“Write about what you know”.
This advice has been given to writers ever since Neanderthal man stared at a blank cave wall. But if you examine the phrase, what does it actually mean? For fiction writers especially, it would seem very limiting, unless Stephen King really does possess telekinetic powers. And has met vampires. Fiction, by its nature is about the unknown, a tale which has yet to happen. When we read a story we generally want to escape, or at least retreat from reality, not to be reminded of it.
Of course, like so much advice it’s not meant to be taken entirely literally. If we look at Stephen King’s work, much of it is set in his home state of Maine, and often features writers. Charles Dickens channelled his childhood experiences of poverty into almost all of his books. Delia Owens used both her zoological career and Southern background to create the world of Where the Crawdads Sing. Maybe the advice should be “use your known experiences to provide verisimilitude to your fictional writing”. Accurate, although not terribly catchy.
And what you’re currently reading isn’t fiction. I don’t write fiction, I’m a freelance writer of non-fiction articles. How does the advice relate to this?
What interests you? Name three or four of your interests. What do you mean you don’t have any interests? We’ve all met that person, the one who when asked “what interests you?” will shrug and say “not much”. You’re not that person. You have interests. Anyone reading this magazine is going to be interested in writing. It doesn’t have to be a hobby, there doesn’t need to be an active or creative element, if you’re interested in
something you can write about it.
Does your article have to be about something people consider exciting? Absolutely not. Firstly, excitement is often subjective. You might become highly animated about a football match, while the same game leaves me cold. And I could show you my favourite film, only for you to be bored rigid. Part of your job as a writer is to make your subject interesting for the reader. Think back to school. Was there a teacher who engaged your interest in a subject you previously had no empathy with? Conversely, was your youthful eagerness stifled by a teacher who simply wasn’t much good? What was the key difference between these two educators? Enthusiasm. And we’ll be seeing that word a lot.
Don’t worry about your chosen subject being too popular. And conversely, don’t fret about it being too obscure. As a general rule, the more popular an interest, the greater the range of outlets for your work. However, it also means there’ll be more competition from fellow writers. More niche subjects will have a smaller market, and therefore less competition. Never forget though, the competition will always be there. You are highly unlikely to be the only person writing about your chosen subject.
What if nobody else likes it? Don’t worry. It’s your interest, and your passion for it will shine through. If you write engagingly about something it will become interesting. Even if you don’t convert your readers into fans, you’ll have held their attention for a while, and that is what’s important. Once again, it’s all about enthusiasm.
I call this the Rocky theory. I have absolutely no interest in boxing, even going to a live match failed to engender anything in me apart from boredom. And yet watching
Sylvester Stallone’s 1976 film, I was enthralled by the boxing action. While that interest may not have lasted much beyond the film and its sequels, it was there when it mattered. A good writer will be able to do the same, you can make a potentially dull or alienating subject interesting to all apart from the most hostile of readers. Don’t just tell the reader that your topic is fascinating. Show them what you like about it. Share your enthusiasm.
Research is terribly important. If you’re interested in something, the chances are you know a lot of facts about it. That’s a lot of your background work already done. You can write about something you don’t know, although you may find that it becomes quite an effort. It depends on your aptitude for research. Some are naturals at it, and take great pleasure in the process. And some are like me. When I’ve had to research topics I wasn’t that interested in – normally for previous jobs or academic reasons – my heart just wasn’t in it, and it became a chore. The danger then arose that my apathy might bleed through into the finished product. Think back to talks or presentations you may have experienced, where it was quite apparent that the speaker’s heart wasn’t in it, no matter how enthusiastic they were trying to appear. The same thing happens with the written word. It’s enthusiasm, a genuine interest that transforms a bland, wikipedia-style piece into something genuinely engaging.
Even if you regard yourself as an expert on a topic, still do your research. Because someone out there knows more than you do, and they’re just waiting to pounce on any inaccuracies. Even if you’re sure of a fact, there’s no harm in double-checking it. One mistake can diminish your authority as a writer. And in these digital days, everyone’s an expert. Just the other day I was reading a piece about one of my favourite films, The Medusa Touch. Not only did the author make this supernatural disaster movie sound about as exciting as a trip to the supermarket, their piece contained several basic mistakes concerning the plot and the cast. Make yourself as certain of the facts as it’s possible to be. It’s hard enough getting something published without having to worry about later fallout.
So how can you give yourself the best chance of being published? Firstly, try and find a new, unique or at least different angle. An article about being a football fan is unlikely to find a publisher. However, a piece about being a gay football fan, who has experienced discrimination from both other football fans and the gay community, is far more interesting. You like cats? Great. So does half the population. You like cats but your partner is allergic to cats, well that’s a great hook to build your piece around. My first professionally published article was not just about Doctor Who – hardly an unexplored topic – it was about the bullying and self-destructive behaviour of certain fans.
Secondly, write well. Even the most fascinating take on your subject will be squandered if it’s badly written. Don’t just double-check your article, triple-check it. And the same applies to your pitch, be it an email or covering letter. You wouldn’t submit a job application which was full of mistakes, and a pitch is essentially the same thing.
Thirdly, choose your target. Chances are you’ll be aware of the publications relating to your specialism. Which ones would best suit your article and style? And don’t limit yourself to the big name magazines, seriously consider fan publications. The days of blurry photocopies are long past, many fanzines are professional products. Also, don’t underestimate the online market. While print is in no way as moribund as some suggest –
as a trip to your local newsagent will prove – there’s a huge variety of internet sites, and they need articles. Think about the differences between printed and online articles. Which do you spend the most time on? Which are you likely to read more than once? Online articles are ephemeral, and far more likely to be time-critical than print media. In short, they need material, and they need it now.
Are you happy with your article? Good. Then submit it. And brace yourself for rejection. It happens. Frequently. It doesn’t necessarily mean you did anything wrong, or that your article was bad. There are no guarantees in freelance work. Don’t despair. Even if your piece doesn’t find a publisher, the experience you’ll gain from writing, researching, editing and rewriting will be invaluable. A good writer never stops practising, and never stops learning. Also, you did it! You wrote an article. How many people can say that?
And finally, let your enthusiasm show. That’s the spark which will ignite your audience’s interest. It can’t be faked, and neither can it be hidden. Don’t just write about what you know. Write about what you love.