Turning Experiances into a Story A.

How to. Turn experiance into a story.

Ever hear the phrase, write what you know? I never liked that phrase, I like to write outside of my experiances. My life is relatively normal, I want to write about anything but normal.

However I've learned you need to balance the familiar with the creative, there are times where you need to write what you know.

My question is how do you turn what you know, experiances, into a story.

It's sometimes easier than you think.

First example: I've been entertaining some ideas for my next novel surrounding a poor girl who makes it into an art school by scholarship. It's based on two things, one my love for art, I know a lot about art, and two, an experiance I had when I was twelve. I met a bunch of girls who were good at art, better than I was,(one of them said they had sold a ballerina painting for $300) I felt inferior at first but it spurred me to get better. Remembering this made me want to write about it in a story, about a girl who was always the best when there were no other artists, but when put with twenty other girls finds herself more in the middle.

Second example:
Adding what you know to make it more realistic.
Ive gone to lots of farmer's markets and see bartering first hand here in Africa, this makes writing a market scene much easier for me, I've experienced the pushing crowds, rough barters and people grabbing for your attention. Add in what I know about picking the best produce I can make my character seem knowledgable when she shops in a market.

Third example:
Gathering ideas.
Here in Africa I have a lot of chances to experiance. Foods, people, houses, customs. I record these for later use. I can describe the taste of goat, how laundry was laid on teabuhes to dry, how the women carry anything and everything on their heads, how a length of fabric becomes a tied skirt. I have a lot of chances here, but there are a lot of chances where ever you are.
I take phrases and conversations and turn them into story.


Take advantage of feelings, work your emotions into the story. The bitterness of betrayal, the sweetness of friendship. I base a lot of friendships between certain characters on relationships with my family and friends. (they'll never know which, ;) )

I even took advantage of a nasty sunburn to write about how it feels. Might never use it, but it helps. Next time your really hungry describe the feeling, we've read it described as a gnawing we need something original!


Have you ever turned an experiance into a story?