This was something I heard in a movie once. I think the movie was 'Harriet the Spy'. In the movie, the girl wants to be a writer, so she people watches and writes what she sees in her journal. It's been a long time since I've seen this movie, but I think the journal assignment was given to her by her therapist and she really takes it to heart. She ends up going a tad overboard by following people too closely. This ultimately gets her into trouble, as is the case with the protagonist of children's movies.
The point I'm trying to make here is when writing standard fiction, ie. non fantasy, drawing from our own experiences is the first thing we do. Often, we draw from things we have seen or heard first hand. Then we pull from movies, television shows and books that we've read.
But, what I like to do is try new things. I find that it is easier to write about something if I have actually done it myself. Okay, so that doesn't mean that I plan to jump out of an airplane to better describe the rush of skydiving. And I'm not suggesting you should either (unless you enjoy taking risks) But I have attended Catholic Mass, learned to swim, made a souffle without an electric mixer, and tasted various types of wine and tea.
I love to travel. I go to different cities and take as many pictures as I can. I love to eat out and try different foods. I'm also learning to play the cello and the guitar. One of my many goals involves learning different languages and their cultures simultaneously. I don't do these things to expand my knowledge as a writer, but I like to think they're helpful.
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