Writing tips (5 of 20). Start from the known

Start from the known
Even the youngest of us has had experiences. Whilst most of us would consider that most of these are not terribly interesting, or that they're pretty common (which is true, for most, as not too many of us have actually stood on the moon, or had a leech up our nose!), they are you! Together, of course, with what you imagine, and what you absorb from the world - through interacting with other people, through reading and movies, from the Internet...
This experience, whatever it is, is real - we might call it reality, or real-ness - and it enables you to connect with the reader. Generally speaking, a person is less likely to continue reading if he or she thinks that what you're writing is unlikely, implausible, impossible. You might think that science fiction, life and action on other worlds or in far-distant times, is like this, but you'll find that good science fiction is exceedingly well grounded.
Similarly, surreal stories like Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass - both actual impossibilities like Wind in the Willows, are exceedingly believable and entertaining, once the initial psychology has been dealt with. My story Possum and Python, as you might expect from the title, is of this ilk. See http://www.lulu.com/content/159971.
So I believe that it makes good sense to begin the construction of a story with something that you have known, and perhaps experienced. This doesn't necessarily mean 'start' means the beginning of the story - the actual beginning of the story could easily be the result of pure imagination. The inspiration for my first book Scratcher was a story told me by a colleague about a horse and a dam actually ended up as chapter 8! You can follow this up if you like at http://www.lulu.com/content/191736.