It takes a lot of time to be a genius, you have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing.
Gertrude SteinRead
Bad books on writing tell you to "WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW", a solemn and totally false adage that is the reason there exist so many mediocre novels about English professors contemplating adultery.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes the advice to only write about familiar subjects, suggesting it limits creativity and leads to uninspired work.
Joe Haldeman's quote challenges the conventional wisdom of writing only about what one knows. He argues that this adage stifles creativity and results in subpar literature, as it confines writers to their own experiences rather than encouraging them to explore broader themes and ideas that can enrich their storytelling.
Themes
WritingCreativityLiteratureAdviceStorytelling
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, to encourage participants to break out of their comfort zones.
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