Nanci, This is a really excellent piece, and it raises questions about that whole “write about what you know.” thing.

I was brought up under the wing of an investigative reporter who firmly believed in this. My Dad, a war correspondent among other things, also firmly held to researching ones’ subject and protecting ones’ source.

Obviously — I have to try to loose my imagination from the “only write about what you know” belief because it is holding me back. I envy you for being able to get away from these constraints.

To be fair, I have found that the words flow much more smoothly and the writing is much more convincing when I base what I am writing on something about which I actually know.

Each and every time I try to embark on a fiction piece that is NOT based on a real life experience, it stops cold and I am unable to properly conclude it.

I really wish this were not the case. One of my current projects is a piece that is supposed to underline why using wolf and other fur on coats is a cruel practice. I thought I would make it into a sci-fi/ horror piece which takes you through an experience of one of the characters, and only at the very end do you get the “message”.

HA! Not so fast Kemosabe. I have now been working on this piece for 6 years. Starting out as an outline. Fleshing it out. Giving it to anti fur and other freinds to read, going through more edits, and STILL, not satisfactory.

I am very familar with both Sci-Fi and Horror genres of writing, and have read tons and tons — apparently this is not helping me. Grrrrr.

Obviously I need to let my mind free. As you have done with yours.