Write What You Know Nothing About

Writing advice contrary to everything you read on Medium

I have come across hundreds, if not thousands, of how-to, self-help, writing advice articles on Medium. Seriously, it is mind-boggling how many there are. And every last one of them give the same advice: Write what you know about.

Given my contrarian nature, it should be no surprise that I offer the exact opposite advice: Write what you know nothing about.

It’s not that I’m ‘opposed’ to writing what you know about. That is fine advice and there’s nothing wrong with it…. if you want to stay forever in your tiny little writing box.

First, I should admit that none of my novels or other books have ever appeared on the New York Times bestseller lists and therefore I am profoundly unqualified to even give writing advice. (I suspect the same is true for many of the other Medium writers who write writing advice articles.) And that is why I don’t normally write writing advice articles. I just don’t feel that I am qualified to given my lack of widespread success.

And that is exactly why I felt the need to publish a writing advice article; because I obviously know nothing about successful writing.

Like so many writers, I wrote about what I knew for many, many years but…