Discover. . .: Write What You Know—a No-No? By Karina Bartow

MUSE MONDAY

It's always fun to find out how an author's writing evolves. Karina has an interesting journey for Muse Monday on Discover...

We’ve all heard the saying, “Write what you know.” In truth, that’s how many of us start out in our writing, especially in school. Back in my elementary and middle school years, I wrote a couple of short stories about my dad and my honorary brother, among other people in my life. As I began to consider writing professionally, I was drawn to authors like Nicholas Sparks, who wrote in a relatable and realistic style, even setting his plots in his home state of North Carolina.

Once I made the commitment to put pen to paper, so to speak, my mentality changed a bit. While I still wanted to strike a genuine tone, I was afraid to make my stories very true to my own life. Though I love my home and familiar stomping grounds in Ohio, I never wanted to base a story here. I thought that, if I did so, readers wouldn’t be able to separate me from the tale, especially if they knew me personally. Plus, I wanted to show off my imagination, and I feared that I couldn't do that if I took advantage of the places in my everyday world.

When it came to characters, I had somewhat of the same mindset. Apart from a few special people I wanted to honor in my work, I didn’t want all of my characters to resemble someone from my life. Along with the same reasonings I had about the location, I also worried over upsetting people or making readers compare the characters to the people who inspired them. Since I write fiction, I didn’t want them to believe that everything I wrote about the characters happened in the individual’s real life.

Little by little, however, my approach pivoted back to the old adage, “Write what you know.” Why? I saw the way readers responded to the characters that were based off of real people. One of them was Mabel, a dear family friend I considered a grandmother. I put her as a secondary character in my second novel, Forgetting My Way Back to You, and my writing coach absolutely loved her from the first draft onward. Eventually, that led to a prequel about her, Wrong Line, Right Connection. Though I did have to clear up some curiosities about what was true and what was fiction, a lot of the readers who were acquainted with the real woman savored the opportunity to envision her in the plot.

Over the years, I’ve grown to realize that your bond with a character resonates with readers. In many cases, you can develop that over time even with a completely fictitious character. When they are inspired by somebody you have a personal relationship with, however, it can give that extra spark to the character. You’re familiar with their habits and personality, and when you implement those features, it doesn’t mean you’re putting your imagination on cruise control. Rather, you can use your imagination to convey such in a way that fosters a bond between readers and characters similar to the one you have with the individual behind them.

My upcoming release, A Craving for Chaos, is the most true-to-life portrayal of people in my circle that I’ve crafted to date. My uncle and aunt were my muses for the protagonists, with their dynamic personalities providing all kinds of material to use! From their common expressions to fun family anecdotes, I stirred in many dollops of reality. Need I worry about them shying away from the spotlight? Nah. My uncle’s favorite phrase through this whole experience has been, “Put that in your book!”

Yes, I’ve evolved a great deal from when I resisted to “write what I know.” I still haven’t set a plot in Ohio, but I wouldn’t rule it out in the future. All the same, I continue to use discretion with the approach, not basing every single character off of a person in my life and only using those who would be honored by a fictional counterpart rather than uncomfortable with it. When you find the right balance, readers can escape and lose themselves in the storyline, at the same time as enjoying that seasoning of authentic flavor you can provide through “writing what you know.”

A Craving for Chaos blurb:

Griffin Garrets has a hearty appetite for sweets, steaks, and everything else, but his favorite dish is serving up justice.

The retired detective and his wife retreat to Florida as snowbirds, but the resurgence of Griffin’s final case thrusts Griffin back into the investigation he thought he escaped. His once-trusted informant, accused of murder, appeals to him for help after evidence surfaces that can exonerate him.

Too connected to the investigation, Griffin teams up with bounty hunter Robin Parker to unravel the cover-up that left him with a bitter aftertaste. As they follow the breadcrumbs in search of the truth, can they put the icing on top of this complex case? Or will their differences create a recipe for disaster?