Be Your Own Expert
Another way to bring authenticity to your writing is writing about what interests you and educating yourself into becoming an expert.
As I said in an earlier post, I worked in public libraries for years. Using one as a setting would be easy for me. I am also interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood, the 1930’s and 40’s. If I wanted to set a book in this period, I would happily do more research because it is a subject I am already interested in.
If you choose a subject you aren’t interested in, it will be difficult to write about it with any enthusiasm. I once created a character, a teenage boy who earned money working on cars. It was a dumb choice. I knew nothing about cars (still don’t) and had no interest in them (still don’t as long as they run when I want them to). It just didn’t work.
I love horses. So creating a family that runs a business with horses came naturally. I also made some characters of that family farriers. Now I know nothing about the blacksmiths who shoe horses. But I am interested in that skill, so when my library had a program featuring a blacksmith, I was eager to ask him questions.
If you are writing nonfiction, writing about your interest should be easy and your desire to learn more a given. If you blog about the adventures of your pet, read up on the animal’s history as a pet, how the animal acts in the wild, unusual facts about it, anything to add to your knowledge
Become your own expert and enliven your writing.
