"Writing
What You Know" Write
what you know; an axiom repeated by every creative writing instructor.
If you're a chef writing a cookbook it's no problem but it seems
like it narrows the field quite a bit for a novelist. Most of us
fiction writers want to tell stories about our fantasies.
Just
how much do we need to know about any subject before we include
it in our work? The answer is; a lot. It seems like critics simply
love to pounce on technical errors.
Perhaps I should explain the difference between an error and bending
reality. When writing a Police Procedural, supposing the author
has his protagonist, a cop, load a fresh clip of ammo into his 38.
special and hold the gun against the temple of a suspect while demanding
a confession.
The
writer has made a technical blunder but it's not the behavior of
the policeman that constitutes the mistake. While coercing a confession
is a taboo in police work, it's something that could happen when
you consider that cops are just human beings and make mistakes like
everyone else. The gaffe occurred when the cop loaded his weapon.
A "clip" of ammo can only be loaded into a semi-automatic
pistol. There are no commercially produced semi-autos that are chambered
for 38. special ammunition. This may sound a bit like nitpicking
but it's the kind of error that will jump out at any gun enthusiast.
I once
read a book about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior.
The account said that underwater search cameras had revealed that
the wooden lifeboats were crushed and still lashed to the deck of
the sunken ship. The fact is that the lifeboats weren't wooden at
all but were actually made of steel. I've seen the lifeboats with
my own eyes and even have photographs of them. That one simple mistake
ruined the author's credibility in my eyes.
Knowing
the important details of objects and places is critical but you
don't need to be a marksman to know about guns or a sailor to know
about ships. What you need is a commitment to accuracy and the willingness
to do research. Every firearms manufacturer has a website full of
data and specifications and the internet or your local library can
provide information on almost everything. Sometimes, if it's a geographical
location, you may just have to go and look.
If you're
serious about writing, you'd better be serious about accuracy.
©
MyShelf.Com. All Rights Reserved. |