Experience vs. Quality in Writing

Frequently in replies to articles about writing I hear a grumble from users, who are in their 50th or older: "Life experience is the most important thing in books. If you have experience, then your book will be good a priori. At first you must live the life through, and only after that you can write truly well". There is an eternal dispute of what goes first - hen or egg, or, to be exact, whether quality of text can atone the absence of experience and vice versa.

I should admit, that similar ideas visit every writer from time to time. When we face writer's block, we are susceptible to explain it not only by our own inability to write, but also by the  absence of "real life" behind your back. How can it be possible to write a history of a woman with three children, who is discharged from office, her house burns down and husband disappears, if you are by yourself a yesterday-student, who have lived  all his life happily under parental wings? And if you are already in your 40es, and are going to write book for the middle grade children? It would seem, you have too much experience, but your son is already eighteen and he is overcome by non-children's problems, and what was in your own childhood, you have already forgot!

You must remember: nobody it interested in what took place in reality (if we're not speaking about non-fiction). Common histories of common people are boring and banal in mass. And our history should carry readers away! Our reader must believe in our history, even if unconsciously he knows that it is fiction. On the one hand it is necessary to write of something quite far from ordinary, and on the other - as if it took place in fact.

There are a few methods, which can be used all in once or you can try only part of them. For the beginning there is a research. If you are already not very young, you have worked a large part of your life. Well, and you are going to write fantasy about portal traveller. If you have worked in steelworks, don't make your hero a manager, I beg you! Maybe, you saw about ten managers in your whole life! Did they really impress you like a hero, who is capable to kill dragon or is worthy of the princess's hand? Most likely, in your eyes they were common persons, maybe even cheaters. And if you will make a steel worker, then… 

- he will be strong, so will be able to hold sword and, may be even shield, without bending like a willow.

- he will know how these swords are made or at least what the steel is. He can spoke like with smiths or even with wizards in that imaginary world.
- he will know, what is to work by his own hands and what is endurance. 

- etc.
But the most important thing - you will know him. At the very beginning you will be able to describe his way of life so that the reader will believe you. And this belief will give you quite a big credit of trust, when the story moves to invented world which, of course,  you have to create from point zero.

There is another tip that should be used. It's name is text quality. Remember, if your story is boring, then you doom to boredom your reader, and you book - to oblivion in the editor's waste basket. To invent a reliable hero and to place him in uncommon conditions - is only the small part of the process. It is necessary to develop history, to move it to culmination and to logic ending, that must force your reader to close book with great sigh and to run to Internet, checking when the next will come out. It is necessary to get acquainted with the main principles of novel construction. The reader wants not only to be surprised, not only he wants to believe in your descriptions, wants to know that dragon will be defeated, and the princess will be rescued (maybe by entirely other hero). Therefore it is necessary to read about book structure, about character's development, of novel editing and even about selling it.
What to choose (if you still remember about article's header)?
Correct answer: Experience & Quality. Only such combination works, and if you also add a great world construction to your book… however, we can talk about world building in following articles.
Read my blog and you will learn  how make your novel more better.

Please feel free to write to me about mistakes.