"I've often said there are no rules for writers. Let me share the WORST AND MOST HARMFUL ADVICE I was ever given by others. 1) Write what you know. 2)You'll have to polish every sentence you write three or four times. 3)Genius is one tenth talent and nine tenths hard work and 4) You're not a real writer if you don't write every day. --- ALL OF THAT WAS HARMFUL TO ME. ALL OF IT. IT HURT AND IT SET ME BACK. ----- So I say again, there are no rules. It's amazing how willing people are to tell you that you aren't a real writer unless you conform to their cliches and their rules. My advice? Reject rules and critics out of hand. Define yourself. Do it your way. Make yourself the writer of your dreams. Protect your voice, your vision, your characters, your story, your imagination, your dreams."
Personally I think that writing what you know isn't always harmful. It's certainly a good place to start, especially if you don't know where to begin. You can write about your experiences, your town, the people you've met in life. Just fictionalise it a little. Find something entertaining and work around it.
You don't have to write every day. I didn't know when I could call myself a writer. Do you call yourself a writer if you're writing or when you've actually been published? Does being published verify your writer status when so many amazing writers don't get actual publication? I've realised that it's very simple. If you write, you're a writer. You can call yourself a writer. It's a loose term.
Write. Write what you want to, how you want to, when you want to. Do whatever you want to, whatever you can, and it'll be good enough in some way.
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