Passion and Writing

Write about what you know. This is good advice for the beginner writer. I would also add that you should write about those things that arouse passion in you. We've all read a piece of work that is flawless but were left unmoved. On the other hand, I've read work that contained errors in grammar and spelling, but which left me feeling as if I'd read a masterpiece. The difference was the passion and sincerity in the one, and the lack of it in the other.

When we write about what we know, we write with authority. We can't fake sincerity and we shouldn't insult our readers by trying to do so. If you don't know your subject well, you can still write about it, but spend some quality time researching the topic. Even if you do know it well, research will confirm this for you and perhaps save you any embarrassement later.