WWE’s Chief Creative Officer, Paul Levesque, has talked about his approach to storytelling.
In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated published on Wednesday, Levesque said he books “what people want to feel and see.”
He credited Vince McMahon for his viewpoint on the creative process:
Vince taught me years ago, you put yourself in the seats and you’ll never go wrong. You’ve always got to maintain that perspective. I started out as a fan. Book what people want to feel and see.
Writing this stuff is a feel. You can analyze stories and how they come together, but how does it make you feel? If you can make people feel those stories, they’re going to be invested in the product. That’s how we try to approach, find that ultimate emotional place for the talent and the characters and the stories they’re in.
Levesque also reflected on his ups and downs in the ring over the years.
I started at zero and saw all the various stages of it. I’ve worked in front of basically no people, and I’ve worked the biggest shows in the world. I understand the process — the successes and the failures. Even when you get an opportunity to move up the card, then you’re moved back down and you’re not sure if you’re going to get that opportunity again — I’ve been there.
Speaking about the current WWE roster, he added:
A lot of these kids are already invested–they grew up wanting to do this. And if they didn’t, they fell in love with it by learning from people who grew up wanting to be in this business, and that’s how they learned the respect for it. To me, that’s what makes you successful. That connection with our fan base, that’s a big part of our core.
