Write what you know, write what you know -- what happens if you don't know very much?

I guess the question is: Can imagination and study overcome a "lack of first hand experience"? Can I write a song about a pioneer falling in love with adventure and discovery when I have never been a pioneer before? Do I study the ways and habits of pioneers (lingo, culture, dress, religion,...) and then "add in" my experiences to the pot to come up with something believable and interesting to the listener.

We know Melville was a sailor/whaler so that helped in writing Moby Dick, but what about Tolkien in the Lord of The Rings?

Interesting chapter.


"Good science comes in peer reviewed journals. Conspiracy theories come in YouTube videos. "
Kevin @ bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh