I’d say a lot. First off, you write about what you’re interested in. If you really, really like reading crime novels with a cup of horror, chances are you’re going to try your hand at it too.
You always hear the advice: write what you know. I think most writers do that without really thinking about it. How much of your inner world you intersperse into your stories probably depends on the writer, but unconsciously, I don’t know how you can’t help but inject parts of your philosophies, beliefs and even fears into your writing. It’s what makes your stories unique from someone else’s.
I know for me, I’ve got a big dollop of thalassaphobia working against me. I suppose some of it comes from living in land locked Iowa and having only been to the ocean twice in my life.
Actually it’s a small part. I find the ocean fascinating. I can probably tell you the name of almost any fish from a picture, I know a lot about the migrations of whales and sharks, habitats, the ocean zones, and so on. The problem is I also know a lot about other things that may or may not be living in the deep . . . I grew up reading all kinds of books on sea monsters, lake creatures and other fringe topics and while I love horror, it spilled into the ocean side of my brain and has taken over.
For good or ill, I look at the ocean as the water goes dark underneath me and my imagination can’t help but point out what could be lurking about twenty feet down that I can’t see. Yeah. I know way too much about giant squids, the pacific giant octopus and the cookie cutter shark. Not to mention all of the really weird stuff people seem to see in the ocean or the accounts of what people have crossed paths with.
How does this equate to my writing, you ask? The funny thing is, while writing this I started ticking off the different stories I’ve written and in almost every one of them (yes even Ghost Boy, though maybe not Samuel) has some reference to something lurking in the water. Not that I planned it that way. Not in the least. It just worked its way in to the story. Funny how the mind works . . .
So, as a writer I incorporate different parts of my psyche into what I’m creating: politics, social and cultural trends, philosophy and religion; you name it. And it doesn’t even take into account my preferences (or dislikes) for certain character traits, colors, food, and the list goes on. It might be really interesting to look at a writer by his words to glean something of their personality and idiosyncrasies. Or scary.
Overall, I like the idea that some of my traits and beliefs work their way into my writing. In the end, I do have something to say. And so do you.
Craig