Writer's Manual: Immerse Yourself
What am I doing right now? I'll tell you, because you'd never guess. I'm sipping fresh matcha green tea and listening to a CD of anime theme music. Why?
As a freelance content writer, I frequently take on topics outside of my sphere of experience. For nearly a year, for example, writing Japan travel guides has been a part of my weekly routine. Although I'd like to, I've never actually been to Japan. How do I do it? If you are a writer, how can you, too, carry your pen into the unknown?
It Just Comes Natural
For me, the immersion that benefits my writing is a natural component of my curiosity. For example, I was once commissioned to write a series of articles on matcha.
I'd never heard of matcha. In case you haven't either, it's a special type of green tea. The tea plants are shaded for several weeks before the harvest to allow the leaves to accumulate larger amounts of certain natural components. Stems are removed, and the tea is dried and ground into a powder. Rather than steeping a tea bag, you actually mix the powder into steaming hot water or milk. It's said to hold countless nutritional benefits. I wasn't satisfied until I made it to my local international market and purchased some. Even more thrilling was the fact that there were no instructions in English, only Japanese. Good thing I'd written that article.
Around the same time, I was writing about Japan's famous cherry blossom festivals. I learned that families often engage in hanami, or picnics beneath a blooming cherry tree. I anxiously awaited the day on which the tiny white flowers on the neighborhood weeping cherry would open. I shrugged off the surprised glances of passerby as I had my own hanami, employing chopsticks and sipping matcha beneath the tree in my suburban front yard.
Which brings me to today. This week's article describes the town of Uji, the birthplace of Japanese green tea cultivation. As I type, I listen to the Japanese lyrics - I don't speak Japanese, so without subtitles, I'm lost - of some popular tunes compiled by a YouTuber colleague. I sip on matcha between sentences, pondering what to type next. Sometimes I run to the local grocer and pick up a tray of fresh sushi. For me, I want to experience the things I'm writing about. I may not be able to hop a plane today, but there are certain cultural experiences I can enjoy.
Why It Matters
The idea of "write what you know" was once perpetuated among the artistic community. In this age of globalization, however, that's gone out the window. Don't be surprised to learn that much of what you read on the internet is not based on first hand experience or expert evaluation, but is a dispensation of the ideas of others by writers like me.
Still, "write what you know" holds some merit. If I'm writing about matcha, I can write more convincingly - and more informatively - if I can describe the texture and flavor from experience rather than from rote. If I'm writing about a garden tea house, sipping said tea helps me to picture myself there, surrounding myself with the sounds and sensations that might exist there. Thus, better, more vivid descriptive writing.
How You Can Employ Immersion
So, you've probably gotten a good picture of how you could use immersion to in regards to travel writing. What of other arenas?
"Experience is the best tutor." Try to acquire a variety of positive experiences. Don't let fear of the unknown prevent you from trying a new food, traveling, or the like. Get to know people from different backgrounds, from all walks of life. Then think about what you've learned. You'll be delighted at how new experiences can enlighten and inform your writer.
Are you pursuing a work of fiction? Immersion is especially effective therein. Some how-to publications suggest writing detailed biographies of your characters and their environment, but you can take it a step further. Be the character for a day - dress as they would, eat the type of food they'd enjoy, listen to their favorite music, and go to the places they'd visit. Let real places in your community inspire your character's surroundings. It's like supplying method acting to your writing.
Additional Examples
I've been told that when I'm interested in something, I go all-in. I've self-identified as obsessive. But that's okay. As a writer, the compulsion to learn everything there is to know about a given subject can be an asset. The following are a few more examples of immersion in a given topic.
Super Writer - I was recently verified to writer for Movie Pilot, a leading entertainment website. My topic? The Superman franchise. Not only to I frequently don a Superman t-shirt, watch cartoons, and read comic books, but I recently made a pilgrimage to Metropolis, Illinois, the adopted "home" of Superman. There, I met former Hollywood agent and Super Museum curator Jim Hambrick, who agreed to an impromptu interview. That made for some good writing.
Home Chef - Some clients request original recipes for their websites, such as this one for fancy foods you can make at home. It helps when I can right about what I cooked for dinner last night; not only do I know how to do it, but I know what it tastes like. I can even hit up the leftovers to chase away any lingering writer's block.