What are the differences between "write something" & "write about something"?

Question

In the dictionary

1 BOOK/ARTICLE/POEM ETCa) [intransitive, transitive] to produce a new book, article, poem etc

He wrote some very famous books.

Who wrote ‘Harry Potter’?

I can’t come with you – I have an essay to write.

write about O'Brien often writes about her native Ireland.

well/badly/poorly etc written The article is very well written.

The dictionary also says

GRAMMAR: Patterns with write • You write to someone: She writes to me every month.

• In American English, you can also write someone: She writes me every month.

• You write someone a letter, note, story etc: Please write me a letter soon. ✗Don’t say: Please write to me a letter soon.

• You write to someone about a subject or an experience: He wrote to me about his trip to France. ✗Don’t say: He wrote to me his trip to France.

• Write is often used in the progressive: I am writing to tell you something important.

We say "write articles" but I don't think we say "write about articles"

But we say "write about the trip" but not "write the trip"

It seems that we "write a general thing" but "write about a specific story / experience"

But that is my guess, I am not sure

What are the differences between "write something" & "write about something"?

Answer 1

When you write something, the something is that which you write, an essay, a poem, a novel, a paper, an article, a word or two.

When you write about something, the something is a topic or subject.

Answer 2

Simple!

When you right something, the thing is your object. Like "writing an essay". It might be abstract anyway, but still it's the object and you write that object itself; you create it.

When you right about something, there's a certain subject, you describe it, write quotes about it, an so on.