Bad books on writing tell you to "WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW", a solemn and totally false adage that is the reason there exist so many mediocre novels about English professors contemplating adultery.
Interpretation
The quote criticizes the advice to only write about familiar subjects, suggesting it limits creativity and leads to uninspired work.
Joe Haldeman's quote challenges the conventional wisdom of writing only about what one knows. He argues that this adage stifles creativity and results in subpar literature, as it confines writers to their own experiences rather than encouraging them to explore broader themes and ideas that can enrich their storytelling.
In practice
In a writing workshop, to encourage participants to break out of their comfort zones.
The years, the months, the days, and the hours have flown by my open window. Here and there an incident, a towering moment, a naked memory, an etched countenance, a whisper in the dark, a golden glow these and much more are the woven fabric of the time I have lived.
The therapist does not treat patients by simply giving them another set of beliefs. He or she tries to help them see which kinds of ideas and beliefs have led to their suffering. Many patients want to get rid of their painful feelings, but they do not want to get rid of their beliefs, the viewpoints that are the very roots of their feelings.
I have to understand what my strengths and limitations are, and work from a true place. I try to do this as best I can while still protecting my writer self, which more than ever needs privacy.
The feeling of being valuable is a cornerstone of self-discipline because when you consider yourself valuable you will take care of yourself- including things like using your time well. In this way, self-discipline is self-caring.
Nothing is harder than to accept oneself.
See the opportunity in the misstep.
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