Write What You Know Articles | Writing

By: Matthew Hick

Pick up any writer’s how-to book or magazine and chances are you’ll find the #1 writing tip for all writers: Write What You Know. Why? Because it’s the easiest way to hone your writing skills without having to venture too far into the world of research and interviews. Writing What You Know is a fast and easy way to generate good quality work that can help set you apart from other writers in the pack.

Look at all of the things that you know about and are good at: parenting; hobbies; work-related topics; home remodeling and decorating; etc. Don’t forget any special skills or interest you may have expert knowledge about. Why limit yourself to these topics? Because you already know about them, which will cut your research time and effort in half – or more. Besides, if you want to sound like an expert, it’s a good thing to write about the things you’re an expert at, at least until you become a better writer. Besides, it’s much easier to write about subjects you are familiar with, which can help you concentrate more on the format and structure and less on the topic.

Another good reason to write about what you already know is the fact that it gives you a unique insight into the trend, service or hobby that you’re writing about. You’ll already know the lingo; unusual tips & tricks to share; the hottest trends (and those that are coming up); the industry know-it-all’s and even the right magazines that’ll be interested in your article; not to mention the tone they want (and need) to satisfy their readers. It’s a quick and easy way to ensure a sale for the newbie freelance writer.

Breaking into the publishing world can be tough for someone with little experience or published clips. Being able to tell an editor or publisher that you are an expert in your field, or have access to information and interviews that other writers do not, may help you secure an assignment that would otherwise never be considered. Use your experience to get your foot into a trade publication’s door, thus increasing your ability to sell future articles on other, lesser known (by you), topics.

Writing what you know may sound like child’s play, but it is sound professional advice. After all, you wouldn’t expect someone who wanted to be a plumber to start installing pipes without a bit of education and experience, would you? The same is true for the writer. Use what you know to help you secure those initial assignments, and learn the craft of writing without the stress of learning about a new topic too.

Don’t think you know enough about anything specific to target for an article? You may be surprised at how many different things you’re good at. Consider these as possible article idea starters: 

• Have you been taking care of an aging parent? Use the skills you’ve learned in patience, medicine, insurance and so on to generate a few articles and essays.
• Parenting is always a hot topic. Surely there’s some little tip or trick you’ve learned to keeping kids occupied on the go; getting them to eat sensibly; taking medicine without a hassle; or dealing with grandparents. Use what you’ve learned in your own life t create meaningful and useful articles
• Hobbies. Everyone has some sort of hobby. Use yours to come up with simple how-to pieces; shopping advice; online hobby sites; etc.
• Special Skills. Love to decorate? Share your ideas and inspiration with those who aren’t very good at it.
• Work-Related Skills. Use what you do on the job to generate tons of articles for both the trade mags and more consumer related ones. Are you great at getting people to get the job done? Write a piece about inspiring kids to do their chores; impassion volunteers at church or little league or even getting your spouse to clean out the garage.