Bittersweet Birthdays and writing what you know.
My twin daughters are fifteen today.
Their birthdays always bring out conflicting emotions in me. On the one hand, I'm a proud dad who loves cake, on the other, they're a painful reminder of just how far from normal the girls are. They have a vague idea of what a birthday is, but little interest in us or the presents we bought them.
On the plus side, teenagers are supposed to ignore their parents, so at least in that regard, my girls are not too different from other kids their age. I wouldn't trade them for the world. Besides, both girls are happy. They have loving parents and a big brother any dad would be proud to call his son.
Over the years, several people have suggested I use my experience as a parent of autistic children in my writing. I understand the idea of 'Write what you know', and for some folks I imagine it might even be cathartic in some way, but I'm a 'Glass is half-full' kind of guy and autism doesn't lend itself to the light-hearted side of writing.
How about you?
What do you 'know' that you'll never write about?
ETA: It's okay if you don't want to go into details, I'm interested in whether there's something you 'know' that you wouldn't include in your fiction.
Their birthdays always bring out conflicting emotions in me. On the one hand, I'm a proud dad who loves cake, on the other, they're a painful reminder of just how far from normal the girls are. They have a vague idea of what a birthday is, but little interest in us or the presents we bought them.
On the plus side, teenagers are supposed to ignore their parents, so at least in that regard, my girls are not too different from other kids their age. I wouldn't trade them for the world. Besides, both girls are happy. They have loving parents and a big brother any dad would be proud to call his son.
Over the years, several people have suggested I use my experience as a parent of autistic children in my writing. I understand the idea of 'Write what you know', and for some folks I imagine it might even be cathartic in some way, but I'm a 'Glass is half-full' kind of guy and autism doesn't lend itself to the light-hearted side of writing.
How about you?
What do you 'know' that you'll never write about?
ETA: It's okay if you don't want to go into details, I'm interested in whether there's something you 'know' that you wouldn't include in your fiction.