Writing Excuses

Writing Excuses 5.5: Writing the Unfamiliar

Oct 4, 2010
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ADVICE

Build On Familiar Ground

  • Find and build on common ground with your characters to make unfamiliar elements relatable.
  • Use familiar experiences like adolescent angst to anchor unfamiliar situations.
INSIGHT

Extrapolate From Known Experiences

  • Writing about unfamiliar experiences works by extrapolating from what you do know.
  • Use partial personal experience as a foundation to imagine more extreme or different circumstances.
ADVICE

Focus On Individual Characterization

  • When writing unfamiliar relationships or locations, make characters individuals to add authenticity.
  • Focus on making the character believable even if details differ from common perceptions.
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