Elliot Kessler

There are a lot of good stories out there. Most of the films produced by Disney this last decade or so have been good. A lot of comic book movies from Marvel and DC have been good. There are plenty of films from the present and the past that are good. “Cars” was good. “The Amazing Spider-man” was good. “The Force Awakens” was good. I even think that the “Hobbit” trilogy was pretty good. But if so many stories are good, then what makes a story great? What can bring your story one step further? After someone reads your story or watches your film, what can make the difference between them saying, “I liked that story,” and, “I loved that story?” The secret ingredient, my friends, is writing what you know.

Now, before I get too far into this, I know that I’m not a successful author who sold millions upon millions of copies of my work. I haven’t written any bestsellers, and I haven’t made much money on the little bit of fiction that I put out into the world. Heck, I don’t even have any books in print. I have one serial novel on Amazon’s Kindle Vella program, and that’s it. My short stories have been rejected time and time again by magazines, and I have yet to write something that a magazine accepts or find a magazine to accept the stories that I think could work. But I am currently working on my second novel, which I think has the potential to be great, and I am very proud of how it’s turning out right now. I’m still in the outlining phase, but I’ll get it out to you guys as soon as possible. I promise. Anyways, on with the article.

If you’re learning and studying to become an author or a screenwriter or any other kind of storyteller, then I’m sure that you’ve heard the phrase “Write what you know” at least once before. If not, then I am honored to share it with you. Writing what you know means incorporating your own experiences in life into your story. Many of you might be thinking the same thing I thought when I first heard this strange phrase. I wanted to write about robots, aliens, spaceships, and strange new worlds. How was I supposed to write what I knew if I had not experienced those things? Does that mean all sci-fi and fantasy authors ignore this rule and do whatever they want? No. Of course not. Writing what you know doesn’t refer to physical experiences. It refers to the spiritual and emotional journies that you’ve been through. If you’re suffering a loss, put that experience in your story. If you are going through or have gone through an addiction, write about that. If you suffer from depression, write about that. If you’ve ever been rejected, lost, confused, lonely, hurt, broken, or emotionally dead, write about that.

The best illustration I have of the write what you know rule is the charming, beautiful, and heartwarming story of “Monsters, Inc.” Pete Docter, the writer and director of the movie, said in an interview that he thought of the monster world where monsters enter the human world through doorways that lead to childrens’ closets. They generate power through the screams of children, and they make a business out of it. This idea would make people laugh and chuckle, but when he pitched it as a movie, it fell flat. There was no story behind it. It was only a place. So, what did Docter do? Well, at the time, Docter had just become a father and was learning about his new responsibilities, so he decided to write about that. What if a monster met a human child and had to take responsibility for her? Now Docter had a story to go with his world. That’s writing what you know.

In my serial novel, “Liar’s Legacy,” I wrote about a man who lied to the galaxy and got rich by robbing a fallen hero of his legacy. I wrote about that because he was running away from his responsibilities. He made a bad decision and stuck with it, deciding that everything was ok and he didn’t have to worry about it anymore. He didn’t care that people got hurt, as long as he didn’t have to be responsible. I have made some horrible mistakes in my past, and I am still dealing with the consequences of those mistakes. But, for the last five years, I decided to run from the responsibility that I have to face those consequences and end my inner conflict. I decided that everything would be fine. It took accidentally hurting some people on an emotional level to realize that I had to take up my responsibility and face the consequences of my actions. That is writing what you know. I had an emotional journey that was very deep and personal to me, and I translated it into a work of fiction. My next book also deals with this same emotional experience I went through and am still going through. That’s one of the scary parts of writing. Everyone will see you for who you really are. Bestselling author Niel Gaiman once compared creative writing to running down a street completely naked. You are showing the public your true self and your worst insecurities, and that is something truly brave and beautiful.

What are your thoughts? Do you guys agree with this? What do you think makes a great story, and what are some stories you think are great? I would love to know! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a great one!