The most common axiom about writing is to “write what you know.”

Have you ever driven behind a school bus full of fifth grade boys? Have you ever seen them press their faces to the back window so their noses looks like snouts and their breath fogs up the glass and their tongue lolls out of their mouths? That’s how I feel about that axiom. Although I would add some rude sound effects just to really round things out.

If all writers only wrote what they knew  – in other words, what they have experienced – we wouldn’t have a single historical novel or fantasy story. The entire Star Wars and Star Trek canons are wiped out with this one piece of bad advice. On the other hand, we would have a large number of accountant memoirs from which to choose.

Write what you want to know, I say. And with this in mind, I set myself off to the San Juan Islands with my trusty research assistant (otherwise known as my husband) in tow. A few pictures of our adventures are here. For more details, well, you’ll have to pick up a future book.