From Astrophel and Stella, 1591
I cross-stitched this in fancy script once upon a time. Framed and matted, it hung over my bedside table so I would see it when I woke up in the morning and when I went to bed at night. What a sappy romantic, right?
It reminds me that I have something important to write, and where to look to find my source. And I don’t mean that in a lovey-dovey way, of course. One of the things you will hear from other authors and teachers is to “write what you know.” When I was younger, I had a real problem with that advice because I was at least self-aware enough to understand that I didn’t know much. And how do sci-fi, fantasy, crime thriller, etc. writers write what they know when what they want to write about requires time-travel or alternate universes or to BE a murderous phychopath? And if I’ve had a pretty crappy life, that is quite frankly, the LAST thing I want to be writing about.
For me, it means, “write your truth.” And when you strip your life’s experiences down to the nuts and bolts, whatever this life has taught you is what you should be writing about. Of course, you can apply it literally, which will add the richness of first-hand experience to your craft, but again, that is because it is true.
For me, these truths are stored in my heart, and that is where I should look when I am wondering, “what do I write next?”
Write Under Your Nose 