▁first ▁publish er ▁and ▁ment or ▁who ▁became ▁his ▁literary ▁agent : ▁He ▁said , ▁" Write ▁only ▁about ▁those ▁things ▁you ▁know ▁well ." ▁Since ▁then ▁I ▁have ▁written ▁only ▁about ▁Africa ... ▁He ▁said , ▁" Do ▁not ▁write ▁for ▁your ▁publish ers ▁or ▁for ▁your ▁imag ined ▁readers . ▁Write ▁only ▁for ▁yourself ." ▁This ▁was ▁something ▁that ▁I ▁had ▁learned ▁for ▁myself . ▁Charles ▁merely ▁confirmed ▁it ▁for ▁me . ▁Now , ▁when ▁I ▁sit ▁down ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁first ▁page ▁of ▁a ▁novel , ▁I ▁never ▁give ▁a ▁thought ▁to ▁who ▁will ▁eventually ▁read ▁it . ▁He ▁said , ▁" Don ' t ▁talk ▁about ▁your ▁books ▁with ▁anybody , ▁even ▁me , ▁until ▁they ▁are ▁written ." ▁Until ▁it ▁is ▁written ▁a ▁book ▁is ▁merely ▁smoke ▁on ▁the ▁wind . ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁blow n ▁away ▁by ▁a ▁care less ▁word . ▁I ▁write ▁my ▁books ▁while ▁other ▁asp iring ▁authors ▁are ▁talking ▁their s ▁away . ▁He ▁said , ▁" D edic ate ▁yourself ▁to ▁your ▁calling , ▁but ▁read ▁widely ▁and ▁look ▁at ▁the ▁world ▁around ▁you , ▁travel ▁and ▁live ▁your ▁life ▁to ▁the ▁full , ▁so ▁that ▁you ▁will ▁always ▁have ▁something ▁fresh ▁to ▁write ▁about ." ▁It ▁was ▁advice ▁I ▁have ▁taken ▁very ▁much ▁to ▁heart . ▁I ▁have ▁made ▁it ▁part ▁of ▁my ▁personal ▁philosophy . ▁When ▁it ▁is ▁time ▁to ▁play , ▁I ▁play ▁very ▁hard . ▁I ▁travel ▁and ▁h unt ▁and ▁sc uba ▁d ive ▁and ▁clim b