Writing 101: Write The Story *You* Want To Read

One of the nuggets of writing advice is "Write what you know." I'm not completely sure I agree with that, because I don't *know* any vampires or werewolves, yet I love to write them. I don't *know* anyone who pilots a spaceship, but I've written about a couple of them, too.

One thing I *do* agree with, as perhaps is illustrated by the above paragraph, is this advice: Write the story *you* want to read. Don't write what you think other people want to read, don't worry about what your mother will think. Write for yourself. The second you start writing to please someone else, or try to censor yourself so you won't offend someone, or writing for money (not that we don't want to be paid--and paid as well as possible--for our talent, that just can't be the only reason), you look outward and not inward. Doing that, you run a very big risk of losing what is unique about your voice.

As you craft your story, be your toughest critic. Face the fact that the first words from your fingers onto the screen will probably *not* be the best ones. Ask yourself: What is there about this character that will make someone else (besides me) care about him? What drives the reader to keep turning the pages? Keep honing your skills and don't be afraid to take risks. And make the story you want to read the best one you can write.