How Do I Know What I Think Until I See What I Say?

I'm a big fan of JA Konrath's advice on publishing. I think he tells the truth about how much work it is and how tedious it can be, but he also makes it clear what the benefits are for all of that. But I sometimes disagree with his advice on actual writing, like I do with his post here , about how writing is like being an emperor.* I agree with most of it, but here's what he says about writing that I have issues with: You shouldn't write in a genre you aren't well-read in. You shouldn't submit a story to a magazine unless you've read several issues cover to cover. Every time you write, you aren't reinventing the wheel. You're simply putting a new spin on the wheel. Figure out how the wheel works, then you can spin it accordingly. There's actually two pieces of advice here, stuck together as one. The second piece--the part I agree with--involves publishing. Do not submit to places (magazines, publishers, agents) that you're not familiar w