Kevin Smith: 'Nobody Writes Your Story But You'

Kevin Smith’s inspiring reminder for the new year goes viral

Actor/writer/director Kevin Smith shared a relic from his past this week that is a great reminder to us all. In short, he reminds us that “Nobody writes your story but you.”

He took to Facebook this week to share a note he’s been keeping since 1989. After he and a girlfriend broke up, his girlfriend’s mom — who knew he wanted to be a writer — folded it up and gave it to him to read later. She said, “If I’m wrong, come find me and I’ll eat this.” Here it is:

The letter simply reads, “”Kevin Smith will never be a famous writer. He does not have the drive. I do wish luck.” It was signed and dated, “as if it was an official proclamation about my future,” Smith writes.

He kept the letter, and tacked it to his desk. Later on, he even preserved it in a baseball card frame. “It was important to preserve – and not because I wanted the woman to eat it one day,” he writes. “The note served as a constant reminder that NOBODY writes my story but me.”

It’s easy to forget, isn’t it? So many people influence our lives in subtle and overt ways. Most people probably don’t have an experience like this; an adult reaching out to a teenager to try to undermine their dreams. (What a psycho, by the way.) But we don’t have to experience something blatant like this to feel undermined by others. What a great reminder that the ideas other people have about who we are or aren’t – Don’t. Fucking. Matter.

“Rather than believe this adult who had some minor insight into my character, whenever I looked at this piece of paper, I’d start typing. And one day, I typed a screenplay that changed my life,” Smith writes. He’s talking about a Clerks, a movie that he wrote, produced, co-directed, and acted in. It was such an indie success, it paved the way for his future successes, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

He’s a famous writer, lady. Suck on that.

“So as we head into #2017 remember: nobody writes your story but you. This year, write the shit out of your story. Don’t let someone else define your future for you: sing your song and show ’em what you’re made of,” Smith writes. It’s not about revenge. It’s not about proving anyone wrong, or he would have hunted her down and let her eat her words. It’s simply about remembering that you are the director, producer, and star of your life. And no one can take that from you.

“Happy New Year, everybody. Thanks for making the lady wrong…”