Tonya Burrows | Why I Don't "Write What I Know"
May 27, 2014
One question I'm constantly asked at conferences: was I in the military? Short
answer is no, although I have come close to joining several times. But, see,
there's an old writer's axiom—"write what you know"—and because of
that, people seem to assume that having military experience is the only possible
way I can write my books. And, yes, maybe that was true back before the
technological advances of today when research was much harder to do. Now,
however, I think it's the biggest load of hooey told to budding writers. C'mon,
I'm a small town girl with a perennially boring life not at all conducive to
writing the kinds of books I want to write. Lemme give you an example. I've spent the last several months doing research for
BROKEN HONOR, the third book in my HORNET series, which is
about human trafficking in Eastern Europe. Some of the topics I've delved into
this month alone include the Navy SEALs (again!), NCIS (not the TV show), arms
and sex trafficking, the countries of Moldova, Ukraine, and an unrecognized
breakaway republic called Transnistria that's still stuck in the Soviet era. Did
you know that Moldova is the poorest country in Europe? Half the population has
migrated abroad looking for work and most of the remaining residents are either
elderly or very young. Alcoholism is rampant and many young people are desperate
to find an out, which is why human trafficking is such a huge problem. While that's all interesting information, I bet you're wondering how I can use
it in my book without it sounding like a sociology lesson? Already I'm picturing
a young girl stuck in that life, Vika. When she meets my American heroine, how
is she going to react? Probably with bitterness, jealousy, and maybe some fear.
And wouldn't that up the tension if Vika is my heroine's only chance at escape?
What do you think Vika will say when my heroine asks why she won't help? And there's chapter 5. All thanks to a half hour's worth of research. I've never been in the military. I've never been to Colombia, Afghanistan, or
Moldova. I've never personally experienced the effects of human trafficking,
have never been taken hostage, and thankfully have never had PTSD or a traumatic
brain injury. But thanks to research (and the miracle of YouTube, which I'm
convinced is the internet's gift to writerkind), I now know what those countries
look like, sound like. I know how human traffickers work and what happens to the
girls forced into that life. I know about Afghan child brides, Colombian guerrillas. So, long answer? I don't write what I know. I write what I want to know, and
then go find a video about it on YouTube.
Former Marine sniper Seth Harlan is determined to prove that he can still do his
job despite his ongoing battle with PTSD. When an old friend contacts HORNET to
rescue a black ops soldier, Seth's stability is strained. He knows all too well
what it's like to rot inside an enemy camp, praying for rescue and waiting for
death. And he's not about to leave a man behind. Photojournalist Phoebe Leighton just stumbled into the middle of an arms deal.
Teaming up with a ragtag team of mercenaries is the last thing she wants to
do--especially when she realizes Seth Harlan is assigned to the mission. He may
ignite a passion in her she thought long dead, but Phoebe's hiding a secret that
could destroy him. With a bomb in the mix, HORNET's mission is suddenly about a lot more than an
abandoned soldier. Racing against the clock, Seth, Phoebe, and the rest of the
team struggle to stop a ruthless warlord bent on power, revenge...and death. One commenter will win an e-copy of HONOR RECLAIMED
Comments
20 comments posted.
Re: Tonya Burrows | Why I Don't "Write What I Know"
I love military reads... making note of your books! Thanks for sharing! (Colleen Conklin 1:12pm May 27, 2014)
Sounds like a great book to read. (Kathy Hinton 2:25pm May 27, 2014)
Oh my, those eyes!!! Love your books! (Lisa Hutson 3:36pm May 27, 2014)
Good point! I can't imagine how my research for highschool English and College projects would have been with the internet as my tool. ;)
Look forward to reading this one. (Sophia Rose 5:09pm May 27, 2014)
I like your philosophy towards writing. Am looking forward to reading your book. (Rachel B 6:29pm May 27, 2014)
Thanks for doing your research. Living in the US, most of us are very far removed from the reality that many women face in third world countries. (Rachel Kerrinski 9:44pm May 27, 2014)
I totally agree with Sheila Veikune's comments. Thank you for enlightening your readers. (Joanne Hicks 11:04pm May 27, 2014)
IMO, books would be pretty boring if authors ONLY wrote about what they know from personal experience. :-D (Glenda Martillotti 11:26pm May 27, 2014)
We are quite sheltered and I cant imagine not living like we do..free and able. (Darci Paice 2:49am May 28, 2014)
this one sounds really good (Denise Smith 5:50am May 28, 2014)
I really look forward to reading this book and LOVE the cover!!!! (Bonnie Capuano 9:06am May 28, 2014)
Your book sounds great. Thanks for the chance to win. Great luck with the book and all you do. (Nancy Reynolds 11:04am May 28, 2014)
It is amazing how much information we have access to now with the internet. (Pam Howell 11:18am May 28, 2014)
Honor Reclaimed sounds like a very exciting book. Thanks for sharing your research. (Bonnie H 11:38am May 28, 2014)
Sounds great. Am looking forward to reading this book! (Denise Austin 12:24pm May 28, 2014)
I look forward to reading Honor Reclaimed. (Tina Lechuga 1:09pm May 28, 2014)
This sounds like a cool book! (Kimberly Woodall 6:25pm May 28, 2014)
It's great that you do your research! One thing readers tend to get a rise out of is how accurate a book is. (Alyn Yang 10:32pm May 28, 2014)
Another military romance story to add to my TBR books. I just love reading about the military with romance. (Kai Wong 2:29am May 29, 2014)
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