"High-impact fiction requires high courage. It means not only doing something different, but delving into what matters to you: what terrifies, outrages, grieves, inspires, hurts, and heals you."
"To create a novel's emotional landscape you must first open yourself to your own. ... To put authentic emotions on the page, you need to own them. When you do, readers will respect you. It's when you hide that readers feel shortchanged, cheated, and only minimally involved."
"The healing journey resonates with readers."
- Donald Maass, Writing 21st Century Fiction
As writers, we are often told to 'write what you know,' and I think that means more than reporting your experiences of working in a factory, or hanging out with your criminal friends, or describing your experiences in the military, or performing CPR on your cat. I think what is more important than getting the surface details correct is making the reader feel genuinely engaged in your story by telling them what you are willing to share about yourself. This means you as the author, you need to be genuine with yourself.
Write to learn about yourself through your characters. And be honest. They'll know. Your characters will act like superficial idiots if you aren't honest with them.
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