A few months ago Joe suggested that I take a writing class at a local university. I looked at the classes they offered: business writing, intro to creative writing, memoir writing, and a poetry class.
I told Joe about the business one, thinking he would say that would be good. But he asked about the other classes.
I responded, “Well there's a creative writing class and a memoir writing class. Oh, also a poetry class, but I would never take that. I don't do poetry.”
His response, “You definitely have to take the poetry class.”
Why You Should Write What You Don't Know
Why a poetry class? Because it was what I was least comfortable writing. It was new and something I wasn't sure I could do.
Also, if you always write what you know, you'll never get any better as a writer. If I stuck to writing blog posts and nonfiction books forever, my writing would reflect that. But if I push myself to try writing poetry, I bet I'll find a new way to use the same words I use now.
You need to take risks as a writer to push yourself to try new things.
Risky Writing Stretches You
If you've been following The Write Practice or even just writing for a while, you might find that you're comfortable with whatever genre you're already writing. I spend my days writing nonfiction books, blog posts, and content marketing copy.
And because of that, honestly, writing nonfiction is almost easy for me now.
What writing is easy for you? Is it creating different worlds and characters? Is it the formula you use in your blog posts? Or the short stories you can craft in a day?
Take a break from the easy writing.
Risky writing will make your heart pound with fear because you probably won't know what you're doing. You won't know if what you're writing is any good, and that's how you grow as a writer.
Write What You Don't Know Now
Which of these sounds like the most difficult to write? Write that.
Poetry. Writing poetry will teach you so much about the English language. It will teach you how to feel the words. To sense what words belong and force you to pay attention to even each syllable.
NonFiction. Real. Often true stories mingled with facts that prove a concrete point or stance on a particular issue.
Fiction. Not real. Often descriptive creative stories or novels that describe imaginary events or people.
Satire. The use of humor and irony to express an opinion or mock the beliefs of another. (Check out our intro to satire here.)
Technical. How-to. This writing teaches the reader to do something practical. The word choice is concise and needs to be clear. (This could be hard for a lot of us who love all the words.)
So if there's something you don't know how to write, write it. I dare you.
Because if I'm taking a poetry class to get better as a writer, you can practice one of these. 😉
You will only get better as a writer by taking risks and trying new things.
Have you taken risks in your writing recently? Let us know in the comments below.
PRACTICE
Identify what kind of writing you normally gravitate toward. Then identify the kind of writing you feel the most inadequate or scared to write using the list above.
Take fifteen minutes and practice writing what you don't know. You can do it.
Share your practice in the comments and leave some comments for your fellow brave writers.
Happy risk-taking!
Strangely I’ve never had a comfort zone…I’ve written anything from technical biology papers to historical research, poetry, fiction, blogs, copy. The problem with that is… Jack of All Trades Master on None. Lol
Ah Emily, I hope you find a comfort zone in some writing eventually! On the other hand, I bet it gives you a unique insight into writing all of those different ways! Thanks for sharing.
I am used to writing fiction, poetry and drama. I need to look at writing satire. It’s going to be somewhat a challenge but i’m willing to give it a try.
Ohita, satire is really fun to write! It will definitely be a challenge, but I hope that you find it rewarding and enjoy it! Let me know how it goes!
Writing what I don’t know isn’t the problem, My scheduling is what gets messed up. Every time I sit down to write something beyond my control happens. Great article.
James, glad you like the article. I know the feeling of having a crazy schedule! It’s hard to control sometimes, but I hope you find time to write!
Thank you Kellie, the fact is I’m helping to take care of a parent who had minor surgery. That’s what I mean by beyond my control. Hope you enjoy your day.
I do need to try a different style of writng. When the time comes, I will! ☺ Thanks. A good idea!
LaCresha, which kind will you try? Can’t wait to see your practice!
Probably poetry. I used to in high school. Thanks! ☺☺
Keep going, Kellie. If you are working hard, once you’ll be a very popular and experienced writer.
Thanks Irene!! I hope you’re right. 🙂
Thank you for your post, Kellie. Very informative. Here are my thoughts on writing what I don’t know and some of what I do.
Poetry is a bit of a challenge to me. I’m married to a poet, a sensitive guy who loves to write and read poetry. I have a background in journalism and I write all the time but my appreciation of poetry is not well-developed. Something to work on.
I was a print journalist for many years and subsequent to that, I worked in the criminal justice system as a court reporter. Both jobs were like being paid to play. A lot of enjoyment came out of those careers. But, in any event, at some point it was time to move along and I have long since retired.
I am interested in crime fiction. It’s what I know or at least what I like to read.
I also enjoy writing humour and was fortunate enough to have written two different types humour columns – one a lighter look at life and the other about court bloopers – for a small-town daily newspaper. Both columns ran about a year each but writing a humour column is not as easy as some might think. In my experience, writing humour requires precision.
At an earlier time in my life, I thought about technical writing and actually enrolled in a course but it was not for me. I’m not sure but I imagine that technical writing doesn’t involve as much creativity as other types of writing might. I could be wrong, of course. As with humour writing, technical writing requires precision.
I think I have to learn to read, write, and understand poetry. It’s far more important than I thought. Thank you, Kellie, for bringing that to my attention through your post.
Hi Kellie, Love your post. Satire and poetry would be my challenge. I used to work as a nurse in a hospital and my writing then consisted of charting about patients. When I first started writing a novel, my prose was very clinical until I learned the craft better. Something that still plagues me today is finding my ‘writer’s voice’ so I started a blog to work on that too. Julia Mills
Non-fiction frightens me. Those who know me are quite aware that I tend to . . . stray far away from the real world and all the problems that accompany it. My stories are all fantasy-based; adventures with sword, assassins, dragons, and magic circles, all that great fun stuff that don’t often make sense to the researchers and data-seekers, that’s my domain, my true safe-haven. Which is why, when I read this post, and when I cringed at the sight of non-fiction, I knew I had to comment [enter distressed whimpering sounds here]. I took some time and looked up some creative non-fiction topics and of course I disliked many of what I saw, but then I spotted the words ‘personal essay’, and at this moment in time I paused, then turned to the camera in the sky that I know the aliens watch us through, and smirked.
If there’s one thing I know well in this logic-filled messed up realm, its myself, my extremely nonsensical, humorous, awesome-tastic, cool, superior, almighty, slightly abnormal self. Unfortunately, I’ve been cursed with incredibly slow writing skills, and my fifteen minute timer has just repeatedly ordered me to shut up in the form of annoying beeping sounds, so none of you kind people who took the time to read this will ever truly know anything about me. bai-bai (^_^)/
*Taija Sensei’s theme song plays out as she mounts her dragon and flies away
Love this challenge. Thank you.
Be sure to post one of your poems!
About half of them frighten me! Especially Satire and technical. These two because, for the technical, I wouldn’t have a clue about what to write about! And for the satire, because, yes, I could go to town with that one, but I’m not sure about how controversial you want these comments to be!
Fiction is where I am most comfortable, and songwriting (which might fall into the poetry category, because it rhymes and all).
I admire you for taking a class on something you were so not comfortable about!
Reagan
“Whatsoever ye do, do unto the glory of God”