Stop "Writing What You Know": The Boy Downstairs

Written and Directed by Sophie Brooks.

It's 1973, at Oberlin College, and we are sitting in our creative fiction class. In the front is our professor, Margaret Madeupname. It's the last day and she is giving a speech to us inspired to take on the rough world of writing, the rejection and disappointment. To wrap up, she utters these words, "Write what you know." And ever single person takes this advice literally.
"Write what you know" is why we have indie film after indie film (an let's not forget the series lead Zosia co-stared in) with the lead character as an up and coming writer.  WWYK has been interpreted as a literal rule by entire generations of writers.
"Oh, I know working at a restaurant and struggling to write my novel, about struggling to write a novel."

Adding to the lens flare collection

What Miss Madupname meant was, if you are going to write about a subject, you should be studied and knowledgeable about it.  If you are writing about the horrors of the Armenian genocide, do some darn research first. Not, invent a character who is caught up in the Armenian genocide while trying to become a newspaper reporter cause reporting is what you know. Actually that one sounds decent. No one take that! It's my idea! Patent pending!

He is VERY charming

"I know working at the coffee shop and struggling to sell my feature article which is about how hard it is to sell a feature article."

Maybe it's a function of being young, you have this myopic world view.  Everything ends up being a memoir. Hell, I freely admit I did it. I AM one of the quotes I have strewn throughout this review. So how can I fault Sophie Brooks for doing the same thing I did?
I can fault her for an indie film which follows the formula beat for beat. Nothing unexpected happens in 'The Boy Downstairs'. There are quirky older characters, an alpha best friend who pushes the "action" forward, even the stern dad who doesn't belong in this world shows up briefly. I was carried to the end by Zosia's and Matthew's performances. He has a charisma on screen, which can't be taught, flows naturally through his instrument (heh). There might be something here with Mr. Shear.

"I know working in the retail store and struggling to sell my book of poetry. Each poem is a reflection of how hard it is to sell a book of poetry."
What I would have liked to see is the side characters developed further. Any kind of side plot would have broken up the pacing and given the film some much needed depth. As it stands, these are the kind of characters who don't exist unless the lead, Diana is on screen. What I mean is, you don't get a sense of their inner life or wants. They just want the lead to achieve her goal. It's shallow and a disservice to the actresses. What are they supposed to work with? I don't recommend watching 'The Boy Downstairs' because if you were thinking about watching it, then you're the kind of person who has seen it already 20 times before.