Tag Archives: writing what you know

I was on a forum over the weekend where people were talking about things they hated most in books. One person commented that they hated it when men wrote about women characters. Now, the user has a right to that opinion, even though it was pointed out that that sort of limitation would completely obliterate most books as we know them. And the thing is – the user’s specific complaint was the author’s treatment of the female character’s period – e.g. referring to it as her “little monthly visitor” or some such.  Now, I haven’t read the passage in question, so I don’t know the context. But her argument is that you can’t write about something you don’t have and will never be able to experience. Huh? That’s like saying I can’t write about dying because I’m not dead. The short answer is  – not everyone experiences everything, regardless of… Read more