The conventional wisdom is to write what you know. If you have an amazingly rich life with more facets and adventures than you can count, this is probably sound advice. For the rest of us, it can be a stretch.
My cozy art series protagonist is a woman named Abby. I didn’t start with Abby. Her daughter-in-law was first up as the POV character. Then I tried her husband, Nate. Ultimately, I landed on Abby because the heart of the series had changed; I now want to write about the choices and reality of being an older woman in an older marriage.
With that settled, I wanted Abby to not be me as much as I could. So – not a writer. I made her a ceramicist at first – something I know nothing about. It occurred to me that I should at least try to throw a pot. One quick sprint across the studio to retrieve my lump of clay put the damper on that. Then, I decided to read up on art crime – which led to several Sotheby’s certificates. Ultimately, I decided that to make Abby not-me, she needed experiences I hadn’t had.
Can I just say that I’m having the time of my life because Abby is far more adventurous than I am?
She’s pursuing the Barnes Method certification. She’s taking yoga. She’s taking an Intro to Drawing and Painting class right now, with Watercolor in the wings. I feel like a female version of Walter Mitty, except my excursions and adventures are real!
I’m not sure what Abby will be up to next, but I’m excited to find out.