--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I disagree with the advice of 'write…" description: "\"I disagree with the advice of 'write about what you know.' Write about what you need to know, in an effort to understand.\" — Donald Windham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/donald-windham-92988_advice_i-disagree-with-the-advice-of-write-abou_2727257.jpg" --- # I disagree with the advice of 'write about what you know.'… ![“I disagree with the advice of 'write about what you know.' Write about what you need to know, in an effort to understand.” quote by Donald Windham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/donald-windham-92988_advice_i-disagree-with-the-advice-of-write-abou_2727257.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/donald-windham-92988_advice_i-disagree-with-the-advice-of-write-abou_2727257.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/donald-windham-92988_advice_i-disagree-with-the-advice-of-write-abou_2727257.jpg) > “I disagree with the advice of 'write about what you know.' Write about what you need to know, in an effort to understand.” [Donald Windham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-windham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Instead of writing about familiar topics, write about what you need to learn, using writing as a tool for understanding. **In simple terms:** Write to learn. Key Takeaway Use writing for discovery. Themes writing learning self‑improvement knowledge curiosity Mood inquisitive reflective motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - academic research - personal development - creative exploration Key Concepts reflective practice intellectual growth Questions to Reflect On - What do you need to know? - How can writing deepen your understanding? A Different Perspective May be challenging without prior knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Advice Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice-write-524760/) [Disagree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree/) [Disagree Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree-advice-2928481/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Know Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-write/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Write Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-know/) [Write Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-need-347029/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The best advice is not to write what you know, it's to write what you like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you-know-it-s-to-write-what-you-2/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“The best advice is not to write what you know, it’s to write what you like. Write the kind of story you like best—write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you-know-it-s-to-write-what-you-4/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“The best advice is not to write what you know, it's to write what you like. Write the kind of story you like best-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you-know-it-s-to-write-what-you/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [The best advice is not to write what you know, it’s to write what you like. Write the kind of story you like best—write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-best-advice-is-not-to-write-what-you-know-it-s-to-write-what-you-3/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Nothing is sillier than the creative writing teacher's dictum "Write about what you know." But whether you're writing about people or dragons, your personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/nothing-is-sillier-than-the-creative-writing-teacher-s-dictum-write/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“I do not believe that I should only write about what I know but that I should write also of the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felisberto-hernandez/i-do-not-believe-that-i-should-only-write-about-what-i-know-but-that/) [Felisberto Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felisberto-hernandez/) > [“Definitely. You cannot write about what you do not know, nor can you write for people you do not understand. You’ll need to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-le-carre/definitely-you-cannot-write-about-what-you-do-not-know-nor-can-you/) [Georgia Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-le-carre/) > [People say to write about what you know. I'm here to tell you, no one wants to read that, cos you don't know anything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/people-say-to-write-about-what-you-know-i-m-here-to-tell-you-no-one/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I write about what I know; and I write about things that are new to me, and that I didn't know before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/i-write-about-what-i-know-and-i-write-about-things-that-are-new-to-me/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“You can’t always write what you know—not exactly what you know. You can, however, write what you see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-can-t-always-write-what-you-know-not-exactly-what-you-know-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [The best thing to do is to write about what you know, and if you write about what you know you can always pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/the-best-thing-to-do-is-to-write-about-what-you-know-and-if-you-write/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [We don't write what we know. We write what we wonder about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-peck/we-don-t-write-what-we-know-we-write-what-we-wonder-about/) [Richard Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-peck/) > [Write what you know. Write what you want to know more about. Write what you're afraid to write about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-murphey/write-what-you-know-write-what-you-want-to-know-more-about-write-what/) [Cecil Murphey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-murphey/) > [To know whom to write for is to know how to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/to-know-whom-to-write-for-is-to-know-how-to-write/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“To be a great Writer, Write what you know & Write what other writers wouldn't write about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryann-gestwicki/to-be-a-great-writer-write-what-you-know-write-what-other-writers/) [Maryann Gestwicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryann-gestwicki/) ## More by Donald Windham > [“Beneath the chinaberry tree at the school, on the wide rolling clay earth scattered with fallen berries, he had thought himself homesick. But now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-windham/beneath-the-chinaberry-tree-at-the-school-on-the-wide-rolling-clay/) [Donald Windham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-windham/) [Explore all 2 Donald Windham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-windham/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. 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I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) [Browse all 8,535 Advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I disagree with the advice of 'write about what you know.' 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