Empathy Via Fiction: Lessons From Jordan Peele
2 Lessons From The Horror Writer/Director
Despite a seemingly never-ending slate of reboots and franchises, 2019 was a banner year for original horror stories. One of the most satisfying theatrical experiences for me this year was Jordan Peele’s Us, a new nightmare from the mind of Get Out. Us may not have had the universal audience adoration of Get Out, but it further cemented Peele as anything but a one-trick pony.
I won’t go specifically into the plot points of Peele’s films, but if you catch any interview with him, you’ll find two common themes in his storytelling approach: empathy and humility. Here is how you can harness these two approaches for your own stories.
The Power Of Empathy
Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, empathy in storytelling is something that is easy to recognize and difficult to achieve, as it’s the ability to understand and share feelings of others. It all goes back to the old adage of “show, don’t tell.” If you try to force feelings, it feels fake. Takeaway: Rather than tell the audience what they’re supposed to feel, show the audience what the character is feeling and experiencing so that it becomes a visceral experience for the viewer.
