"You do the story that you want to do because you believe in it and it will find an audience. You have to be passionate about something and not try and hop off what's already out there. You have to absolutely 1000% have a vision." — Leslie Zemeckis

Not all stories are treated equally — and Leslie Zemeckis and Sara DiVello are on a mission to change that. In this episode, the co-hosts of the Plot Point podcast, founders of the Santa Barbara Literary Festival and Nantucket Book Festival respectively, and bestselling authors in their own right join Rain to break down why the stories we tend to dismiss — romance, thriller, true crime, comedy — are often doing the most important work of all.

We talk about how comedy functions as a doorway to empathy, why chasing trends produces what Leslie calls Skittles books, and how to carry the story of a real person with the care and tenderness you would want someone to take with yours. Sara's research into the Great Migration and pioneering female journalists, and Leslie's documentary work shining a light on forgotten women in history, form the backdrop of a conversation about what it really means to give overlooked stories and overlooked storytellers their due.

If you are writing your first book, finishing your tenth, or simply trying to figure out what story deserves your attention next, this episode is your reminder: write the thing that lights you up, don't wait for permission, and know that every finish line is just another starting line.

1. Reject the arbitrary hierarchy that ranks some story genres as serious and others as disposable

2. Write the story that sustains you through the full marathon — not the one you think will sell

3. Research deeply and carry your subject's story with the care you would want for your own

4. Build a creative community instead of working in isolation — it will change your career

5. Stop waiting for someone to greenlight your story and go create it now

Follow Leslie Zemeckis:

Website → https://www.lesliezemeckis.com

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/lesliezemeckis

Festival → Santa Barbara Literary Festival → https://www.santabarbaraliteraryfestival.org/

Follow Sara DiVello:

Website → https://www.saradivello.com

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/saradivello

Festival → Nantucket Book Festival → https://www.nantucketbookfestival.org

Podcast → The Plot Point Podcast (with Leslie Zemeckis and Sara DiVello)

Authors Referenced → Jeffrey Archer

Authors Referenced → Walter Mosley

Authors Referenced → Wally Lamb

Authors Referenced → Stephen Rowley

Authors Referenced → Ryan Coogler

Authors Referenced → Ace Atkins

Authors Referenced → Erica Robuck

For more storytelling tips and strategies, visit:

Website → https://rainbennett.com

Podcast → https://thestorytellinglabpodcast.com

Or follow along at:

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chiefstorytellingofficer

Twitter/X → https://twitter.com/rainbennett

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/rainbennett

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/thestorytellinglab

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@RainBennett

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