MWfWW3: Write about what you know.

February 13, 2013 | Posted in: Learning Resources

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Always think carefully to decide if the topic you’re THINKING of writing about is really something you KNOW enough about.

Tip 3: Write about what you know.

Effective writers write about what they have schema about – what they KNOW.  I could write a story about teaching, parenting, technology, cooking, woodworking, or any number of other things.  But, I would never try to write a story about soccer, France, or giraffes, because I know very little about these things.  It’s important to write about what you know for a number of reasons:

1. It helps you to be more accurate, realistic, and believable in your writing.
2. It helps your story to stay focused.
3. It helps you to stay interested in what you’re writing about.
4. It helps you to develop  a detailed piece of writing.

When you have specific areas that you’re really knowledgeable about, you can make a “pocket prompt” that you can use to inspire your writing.  Because you have schema about so many different things, you should be sure to have several “pocket prompts” that you can use at a moment’s notice!

The tough part is when you’re NOT able to choose the topic of your writing.  Often times, a writing prompt will assign a particular topic to you.  That’s why you should have several “pocket prompts” ready, not just one.  (Sometimes, your ideas just won’t fit with a prompt topic, and you need to make a new plan.  Flexibility is key.)

Imagine my “pocket prompt” is that I know a lot about website design.  I can work that into a lot of different prompts:

Prompt: Write about a time when something special happened to you.
My idea:  I will write about when I got to teach summer campers how to build their own websites.

Prompt: Write about a time when you got lost.
My idea:   I will write about getting lost at Best Buy.  I found one of their computers that they had on display, hopped onto the internet, and quickly made a website called “Lost Kid” where I posted that I was lost in a store and that I needed my mom.  My mom found my site and we went home, but a lot of other people liked the site and now it’s used by kids all over to find their parents when they get lost.

Prompt: A baby elephant walks up and tugs on your sleeve.  What happens?
My idea: I take the elephant back home and make a website called “Found Elephant” where I posted photos of the little fellah.  In a few hours, the Bronx Zoo called and told me that they found my elephant and that the elephant snuck out that morning in a delivery truck.

Prompt: One day, the power goes out for many hours.  What happens?
My idea: Hmm… Maybe the website idea doesn’t fit here!  I need to think of something else I have schema about.  Oh!  I like to cook!  I can write about how my family and I made a whole dinner that required no electricity at all to prepare!  Cool idea!