New writers are always told to “write what you know.” But I want to take a moment and break down that idea. Because it does appear a lot of new writers take that notion too literally and it ends up failing them.
I’ve been through film school and have been around plenty of people who have studied the art of film making. And one big misconception I see repeatedly is that “write what you know” means to write autobiographically. Write your life story. Tell everyone about your personal trials and tribulations. And while I do enjoy a good biopic, who usually gets a biopic made? Celebrities and people of historical note. Basically… not you. I’m sorry, but if you have ever uttered the phrase, “My life is so crazy, they should make a movie out of it!” I promise you, your life is not movie-worthy. I cannot tell you how many student/amateur films I’ve either acted in or helped out in some way that were the filmmaker’s personal journey. Look, I get it. It’s therapeutic. It’s like seeing a therapist or writing in a journal. But I promise, your life isn’t entertainment.
Think for a moment about science fiction. Have you ever flown in a rocket ship, met alien beings, or traveled to distant galaxies? Then how can you write about it if you are trying to “write what you know?” Because you use what you know, your personal life, to inform, flesh out and guide the characters and the stories. That’s what it means to “write what you know.” Good fiction draws people in because there is something in it that they can relate to. So you can have a completely fabricated world far from anything your audience has ever known, but if you give them characters and stories that are relatable, grounded in your personal truth, they will connect with your work.
Now that all sounds super deep. How about in a comedy like Madison? Looking at Madison as a basic character, no, she is not my personal life experience. And at the rate she’s going, I don’t know if she’ll make it to my age. But the episodes are strewn with my personal life. And that is what makes her unique. She isn’t just a stereotype. I had a few folks try to write an episode and they sent me a sample of dialogue. They just parroted the jokes I’d already done. They couldn’t create new ones because they had no personal life connection in Madison.
Examples: Madison’s brother and sister-in-law are modeled after my own, although there are notable real-life differences. But when I make references about Madison’s, they are very much reflective of the two people in my life. And although I am a dog person more than a cat person, I have shared my life with my beloved kitties for several decades now, so the references to Mr. Peanut can be taken from the cats who (at this very moment) flank me on either side of this computer. And certainly all of Madison’s personal connections to Los Angeles (and I worked as an “extra” for seven years) comes from my decades of being an Angeleno.
And while I have never been employed at Applebee’s, I’ve eaten there twice, and it was two times too many. So to me, Madison’s Applebee’s represents all of the Chili’s, TGI Fridays, Bennigan’s, Mimi’s Cafe, Olive Garden etc., etc., chain restaurants. And I have punched a clock in restaurants, so all of those experiences go under the Applebee’s heading. And the bosses. Oh, my life has been a long winding road full of horrific managers (still is). A lot of those moments are straight from my life. Only the names have been changed to keep me from losing my day job.
You see, I can use my real life to flesh out Madison’s world. To give her personal stories a root in reality. That way audiences can follow her getting zapped back in time and being thrust into all of these old shows, and still feel anchored to a real person who has a real life. No matter how outlandish any of it becomes. And besides, one of the main rules of comedy is specificity! It’s funnier to say “I drank a Mr. Pibb” versus “I drank a root beer.” Use your own specifics to fill out the joke!
So, no, I am not writing about “what I know” as far as Madison is not an autobiographical story about my life. (spoilers! sorry!) But when you look at what has made Madison who she is, well, that is very much my writing about “what I know.”
-Chrisi (aka Madison)
