For the past few weeks, I’ve been listening to Tim Ferriss’s Podcast. Recently, I listened to an interview with Mike Birbiglia, a comedian, and something he said stuck with me.
He said that when he worked, he always tried to keep in mind that “Only Emotion Endures”. What it meant to him is that you should not focus on topics that are only relevant for some time, like cultural references. Instead, write about things that will be relevant for a long time, like friendship or aspirations — things that people have always had to deal with and that will be relatable in the future too.
J. J. Abrams said something similar in his TED talk. Explosions or sharks or aliens are all cool but what stays with people are emotional scenes that draw people in, and the fact that there’s an element of mystery and not everything is said makes it all more impactful.