A response to almost everyone else's posts

I've enjoyed reading everyone's posts about writing what you know versus writing what you can imagine. While most of the literature I have read and really liked is quite imaginative, I do see why many people might prefer to write about what they know. Those who aren't amazing authors like Nabokov (and J.K. Rowling, Miku!) could have a hard time making whatever they can imagine authentic. If you write about what you know, you won't have a problem with authenticity, but when you start delving into your imagination you might tread on dangerous ground. Part of what makes good fiction really good is that the author knows how to convey his imagination in a way that doesn't come across as phony.