The writer must be a participant in the scene... like a film director who writes his own scripts, does his own camera work, and somehow manages to film himself in action, as the protagonist or at least the main character.
WorksHell's Angels: The Strange And Terrible Saga Of The Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs; The Rum Diary; Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas; Fear And Loathing On The Campaign Trail '72; The Curse Of Lono