When you’re trying to sell a script, you’ll be more successful if you write what you know. When it comes to advice for anyone looking to write TV and movie scripts, the Internet and a host of real-world “professionals” have a lot to say. Some people will ask screenwriters to create scripts based on a recently successful idea, for example the genre or the general concept behind a newly made movie. Others claim that the best way for writers to get noticed is to write scripts that are fast-paced, dramatic, and unlike anything else ever created. Finally, others will provide writing styles completely useless to would-be Hollywood professionals – writing in front of a campfire to improve ideas, for example!

The truth is that screenwriters should write what they know. Ricky Gervais, creator of “The Office”, has always defended this position. For example, if he has never set foot in London, England, and knows nothing about horses, it would be unwise to write a script about a horse trainer in London. Personal knowledge and understanding of a subject matter will translate into a better script and improve the chances of someone buying and producing your script.

To ease the concerns of fantasy writers reading this article, this doesn’t mean you can only write about fantasy in the real world. Instead, focus on the stories and events in the script that are familiar—stories and events within this fantasy world. Sometimes you can metaphorically write what you know and apply something seemingly different to something familiar.