What do I Really Know?

As I wrote this week, I found myself thinking back to a saying of a person I used to work with. He loved to say “know what you know.” I’m sure he was quoting someone, even if he didn’t know it, but that saying has helped me with some of the interactions of my protagonist in my current story. When I hear that, it makes me think of the things I can confidently say I know. My protagonist knows a few things, is confident in many others, misguided in some, and knows nothing about most of what is coming as the story progresses.

So, what does it mean to know what you know? For me, it means being aware of what I don’t know or don’t fully understand. I’ve had many instances where people around me build up in their minds what they think will happen or is happening, only for them to realize their preconceived notions are incorrect. This is playing into my current work in progress a bit, even though it is science fiction. At the heart of the story lies a question about an alien race humanity has encountered. What is their true intention or desire for humanity? The protagonist has his own formulated opinions and beliefs based on his experience. Maybe I should say jaded by his experiences. After all, none of us fully understand all the reasons behind someone else’s actions.

But it goes even farther than just how we understand other people. I think the phrase know what you know extends to every facet of life. My protagonist has started to see differences between what he thought he knew or expected and the consequences of his or others’ actions. It isn’t as simple or easy as he thought at the beginning. Throughout this book, his beliefs and understanding will be tested.

If we don’t take the time to evaluate our understanding and beliefs, we miss out on chances to grow and be stronger or better. In response to the phrase “know what you know,” I find myself looking for deeper understanding. Writing helps me with that.

I hope you enjoy good stories. I’ve got a few of my books on Amazon. Check them out.

Check out my books on Amazon.

My latest book, For All the Stones, takes place in a world that is coming to terms with the rising technology and the waning magic. Even though the magic has faded, some are still after the ancient glories of the mages who once ruled the land.

My book, Collected Lives, takes place near the end of the twenty-second century, with vacations and tourism to Earth by off-worlders controlled by major corporations. The largest corporation, Collected Lives, has several enemies. The story follows the events as four people from different portions of Collected Lives’ process are thrown into the middle of a larger problem.

My fantasy, A Map, a Mage, and a Sacrifice, is set in a world with ancient technology where sacrifice of lifeforce brings magical power. The greater the pain and suffering, the greater the magical energy generated. The Forty mages controlling the empire use voluntary sacrifice of the citizens to generate power they use to protect and defend the empire. But their rule may be coming to a close.

Malignance, my third book in my time travel series that began with Resonance and Dissonance, is on Amazon as a kindle and a paperback. That was a fun series to write, and for now, it is completed. I have also placed all three books from that series into one volume titled The Machina of Time.

If you’re looking for a science fiction story, try my book The Promise of Dust, which takes place in a cloud city floating in the atmosphere of Venus. Or Progenitor’s Legacy: Deceit, which takes place many years in the future on a tidally locked world that orbits a red dwarf and has been reached by humanity in their search for the alien progenitors who seeded the galaxy with nano machines.

If a young adult science fiction is more to your liking, check out my series This New Earth, that starts with Demons of a Dead World and Secrets of a Dead World.

If you are looking for a young adult fantasy, check out my book The Threads Unbound.