What Would Happen If You Stopped Playing It Safe With Your Story?

Written by Timothy Foster | Founder & Executive Director

Most authors don’t play it safe on purpose.

They do it quietly.

They soften an idea so it feels more acceptable.
They remove a scene that feels too honest.
They avoid a theme because it might make someone uncomfortable.

Not because it’s wrong—but because it feels risky.

Playing it safe often looks like being “practical.” Marketable. Sensible. Easier to explain. But over time, safety can drain the very thing that made the story matter in the first place.

Think about the books that stayed with you. The ones you still remember years later. Chances are, they didn’t feel cautious. They felt specific. Bold. Willing to say something real.

Readers don’t connect to stories because they’re polished. They connect because they’re truthful.

When authors hold back, stories become quieter—but not clearer. And quiet stories are easy to overlook in a crowded world.

Taking a creative risk doesn’t mean being reckless. It means trusting the instinct that made you write the story at all. It means allowing your voice to sound like you, not like what you think is expected.

What would happen if you stopped editing for approval and started writing for resonance?

You might lose a few readers who weren’t meant for the story.
But you gain the ones who are.

And those are the readers who stay.

If you want to knock it out of the park, invest in learning the craft of creating your own Cinematic Book Trailer - CLICK HERE