We often hear write what we know. There is some merit in those sage words, but is there a market for what we know? Absolutely. The first thing you need to do is make a list of what you know. What are your passions?

As a writer of historical fiction, fantasy, creative nonfiction and memoirs, I’ve accumulated a lot of published credits, but that’s not all I write. Perhaps my greatest passion is creative nonfiction, or rather, writing stories about peoples’ lives, and, there are a lot of paying markets out there to support this passion. Where?

For me, it’s been small, local publications, like Curious Tourist Guide. This is a local guide for the Georgian Bay and southwestern Ontario region of Canada and, having grown up in that geographic area, I have plenty of stories to suit the niche. Not the biggest paying market, but the best part is the byline which advertises my books. Study freebie guides in your local area and see what opportunities there might be for your stories.

Another passion I have is gardening. When I’m not writing, or reading, and when the weather is good (mostly spring and summer), I’m in my garden. When the weather isn’t good, I’m writing about my garden. Here again, I’ve managed to incorporate my love of people stories to give my writing a personal touch, rather than the dry technical data one usually finds in garden stories. Markets? There are actually quite a few. I write regularly for InSteading. I’ve also been published in Backwoods Home Magazine, Green Prints and American Gardener. All good paying markets. Once again, it’s not just the payment for the story, but the byline that provides me with more free publicity.

There’s also my passion for education, particularly music education. This is a great market for writing technical stories on different educational topics, like food and music and writing. Particularly interested in story submissions are homeschool publications like the Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

I began my writing career as a food writer. This is another market that encourages people stories. Some of the publications I wrote for in the past are no longer in print, but others continue to put out regular publications, like Home Cooking and, again, Backwoods Home Magazine and the Old Schoolhouse Magazine. 

So, how does this help you with your writing career? First, make a list of what you know and what your passions are. For me, as a master of many trades, I’ve been brought up never to sit idle. When I’m not writing, I’m working on my other passions:

•    Baking
•    Adapting to food allergies
•    Gardening
•    Dogs and rescues
•    Needle and thread craft projects
•    Music composition (I’m a retired music teacher with works written for piano, cello, and clarinet.)
•    Family history and people stories
•    History in many forms
•    Art (I am an artist and art historian.)
•    Books, as author and reader
•    Teaching (I teach creative writing to young writers.)

I have written and published stories and articles on every topic listed above. While I love writing fiction, I also enjoy the discipline of writing about specific topics like those listed above. Write what you know? Why not? It’s more than a cliché. It’s a solid platform from which to launch a good writing career and to hone your skills along the way.

BIO: Emily-Jane Hills Orford is a published food writer, gardening blogger, novelist and writer of creative nonfiction books and stories. She has received numerous awards for her writing. Her passion for Scottish history shines through in her latest novel, Queen Mary’s Daughter (2018: Clean Reads Publishing) and King Henry’s Choice (2019: Clean Reads Publishing), as well as her middle grade fantasy novels in The Piccadilly Street Series (Tell-Tale Publishing 2018-2020). Perhaps not the ‘write what you know’ that started her writing career, but certainly the passion that allowed it to evolve. For more information on the author, check out her website at: http://emilyjanebooks.ca or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.