What was Steven Spielberg like before he became Steven Spielberg? In the new film The Fabelmans, Spielberg tells the true story of what drove one of the best filmmakers in the history of the industry to become the person he is today. This semi-autobiographical film follows a fictionalized dysfunctional family through the lens of Sammy (Mateo Zoryan, Gabriel LaBelle) as he discovers his passion for making movies.

Through the writing of Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, we watch Sammy come of age amid a group of complex and unique characters that help drive his desire to become a filmmaker.

Here are five screenwriting lessons you can takeaway from The Fabelmans.

1. It’s Called The Fabelmans

The movie is about a young man aspiring to become a filmmaker, but it’s more than that. It’s the story that involves the entire Fabelman family and their dynamic with Sammy as the protagonist. Who are his parents and sisters? What decisions are made that impact Sammy’s life for both good and bad, and vice versa? What does Sammy bring to the table the affect his family?

While Sammy creates his movies as a teenager with the help of friends, the influence they have is not as strong as his family’s. Writers can obviously see that Sammy is the protagonist of the story but also how critical it is that the movie surround the Fabelmans as a whole and that they are the center of the film with their own journeys. Writers can takeaway how to build the complications of a family and how it impacts the main character’s journey whether it’s a mother’s artistic lifestyle, a father’s engineering view or how siblings interact with the main character.

2. A Memoir with Creative License

There’s a lot of truth in The Fabelmans regarding Spielberg’s youth, but there’s a lot that’s made up too. Spielberg is a master storyteller so it’s likely he took some creative liberties in the story of his life. While it’s true that he made movies while being a part of the Boy Scouts and that his parent’s marital problems played a significant role in his teenage years, there are scenes, people and dialogue that must be made up in order to advance the story within its medium.

In any story that’s told, there will be creative license. It’s important for you to know this because writers often struggle to remain true to events. It’s not only impossible, it’s okay to deviate. You’re telling a story, not recreating events (unless you’re writing a documentary). If you’re writing a memoir into a film or creating a narrative based on true events, allow yourself the freedom to add or remove characters, change dialogue, move scenes around or write new scenes that benefit the story you want to tell.

3. One versus Another

What causes drama? When two forces battle one another. In The Fabelmans, this is shown in several aspects of Sammy’s life; some more conflicting than others.

For one, there is a battle between Sammy and his father, Burt (Paul Dano), who is a computer engineer who sees life in practical ways. He doesn’t see Sammy’s love of filmmaking as anything more than a hobby and keeps trying to encourage him to a more respectable and lucrative career path. On several occasions Sammy insists that Burt stop calling it a hobby.

Another conflict is between Sammy’s parents: Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Burt. There’s even a dinner scene where Mitzi explains that in the household it’s the scientists versus the artists. This battle plays out in a variety of ways with Mitzi going where her heart wants and as Burt sees opportunity for technical achievement in his life. This leads to Burt dragging the family to three different states throughout Sammy’s younger years.

Finally, there is Sammy’s own conflict between art and family. When Uncle Boris (Judd Hirsch) shows up, he shares the conflict that drove himself away from his own family stating “Family, art. It will tear you in two.” It’s a dynamic that plays out throughout the film.

Yet, amid all this tension and conflict, the family seems to be supportive of Sammy’s dreams and the Fabelmans appear to stick together as a unit, for the most part. Whether it’s the theme of one thing versus another (art vs. family) or it’s an emotional battle between two characters, or a set of characters, you’ll want to ensure there is plenty of conflict between two entities even if they are on the same side.

4. Give Your Lead Something to Excel at

There’s no doubting that Sammy loves movies. Whether it’s his first recreation of a train crash from The Greatest Show on Earth or his grabbing a camera and shooting when inspired on a camping trip, the passion to capture a story is what drives Sammy. And he excels at it.

Giving your lead character something they are exceptionally good at is a great way to bring the viewer along on the journey and boost their investment in that character. Your protagonist will have to explain their passion and that piece of exposition will help keep the story interesting.

Try to choose something that the general audience may not be aware of. In The Fabelmans, it’s obviously filmmaking. But think about Good Will Hunting and how the protagonist hides the fact that he’s a genius amongst his friends or Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery which features a detective who excels at figuring out and explaining how a murder occurred.

5. Make it Personal

Perhaps one of the biggest lessons to takeaway in The Fabelmans is the importance of making your story a personal one. It doesn’t have to be a memoir but writing is about putting your artistic heart out there. We’ve seen how much better a film is when there is something personal inside it. Whether it’s your writer’s voice or creating something you care about, making your story personal can separate your writing from the others.

Greta Gerwig’s successful adaptation and direction of Little Women was due to her love of the novel, which she says is her favorite book. Kevin Smith’s time as a clerk at a Quick Stop and his love of movies helped launch his career when he combined the two to make Clerks.

Making your story personal, even if it’s not a true story, is what can connect you with your intended audience.

The Fabelmans is currently playing in theaters.