One of the worst things I think a writer can do is limit themselves to the scope of their own experience. Many people suggest, “Write what you know,” and yet this advice is often misunderstood and misinterpreted.

You see, some of the greater works of literature were about things that no one could ever reasonably know. I mean, do you think Bram Stoker hunted blood-suckers in graveyards in the dead of night? Nope. Did Jules Verne ever scuba-dive to an underwater paradise? Also no. Did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ever smoke a hash pipe? Well.. who knows?

The point is, you can’t always write only what you know, but you can write what’s relate-able and what’s familiar. Which opens up whole new worlds of possibilities.

On the “what’s relate-able” front, sure, no one can know what it’s like to, say, turn into a wolf three or four times a month. But one can relate to the fear of hurting others, or the terror of allowing an inner rage to show through. Women writers especially ought to be able to relate to werewolves, since they have a “monthly cycle” as well. Outstanding allegorical potential there.

As to what’s familiar, I confess I’d be out of my league trying to describe, say, equestrian apparel. It’s something I don’t know a lot about, so I’d just be winging it. That means not much until you consider that some item like that might be the key to unlocking a murder mystery plot; if that’s the case, then you darned well better become familiar with equestrian apparel because no reader is less kind than the one who realizes you’re b.s.-ing and the details aren’t right.

While a writer can’t know everything, they do have an obligation to the reader to appear that they know everything as it relates to their story.

So such advice is not given to discourage writers, but to encourage them to do their research and get the details right. After all, one would hate to consider the ramifications if their entire plot rested on knowing the correct calibration of the boiler dispersal pipe and, as the writer, you get it wrong and everyone knows that it’s wrong.

Doe that mean avoid writing about it? No. It means work harder at being a good writer.