In a post on the Stage 32 blog, Matt Ritchey says you shouldn’t let “write what you know” get in the way of your creativity.
Ritchey’s first success wasn’t a movie about waiting tables, but a horror version of Shakespeare in Love starring Edgar Allen Poe. “I hadn’t lived any of it and I wasn’t drawing from my own personal life, but I was writing what I knew,” he says. “More importantly, I was writing what I loved and finding my own original take on it.”
So, how can you do it? First, understand that your voice is unique and that you have something to say. “Your voice and what you have to say isn’t about coming up with a new molecular compound to change the world, it’s about showing the world how you perceive things based on the unique individual that you are,” Ritchey explains. “And that means that no matter what your life has been like, you will always have an original voice.”
Second, keep learning. “These days, between video, articles, and free library files from the dawn of man, it’s never been easier to get as much information and education as you need or want,” Ritchey writes. “Suddenly, you’re writing what you know!”
Third, make sure you put enough of yourself into the story. “What are some moments, quirks, some poignant stories about yourself that you can infuse into your characters?” Ritchey asks. “Add a touch of your own vulnerability or perspective to whatever straightforward scene that you need to push your plot along. That personal touch will permeate through the whole script and make it far more interesting to read, plus makes it more ‘original’ – because there’s nobody like you!”
Finally, embrace the discomfort of writing from personal experience. “Find ways to take your own moments of discomfort in life and transfer that feeling and those reactions onto your characters,” Ritchey advises. “What’s the perspective you can use to make the audience feel what you felt? If you can live in the discomfort, people will always empathize… and love your script all the more.”
