Questions in Silence (Mailbag)

And a preview of our next interview!

Hi and welcome back to Sitting in Silence. This is the third special post for patrons that I do here. It’s a question-and-answer post that I call Questions in Silence. It’s just what it sounds like. You ask me a question about any area this newsletter focuses on—writing, craft, joy, and worry—and there’s a good chance I’ll answer it either here informally or in the longer format general newsletter. Questions in Silence is a mail bag, a discussion, an exchange. Today’s question comes from Sitting in Silence patron, Charlotte Hamrick, who is a writer and editor in her own right.

Charlotte Hamrick: When I attempt to write what I don’t know I’m always nervous that I’ll get it all wrong and someone will call me on it. (Specifically speaking of short stories.) Although I do research, I still feel apprehensive, and I feel it inhibits my writing. How do I overcome it?

Maurice: I understand that feeling quite well, Charlotte. In fact, because most of my fiction is not about people who are just like me, I feel that anxiety often.