i’m obviously not the only one who thinks it’s frustrating that some people don’t understand that the author of a piece and the speaker of a piece don’t have to be the same person. just because i write about something like bipolar disorder, for example, doesn’t mean i, myself, have experienced it.
if i can understand the feelings that would be part of bipolar disorder, or if i know enough about it, i have every right to write about it.
again, again, writers don’t necessarily write from experience. they write from empathy.