Gilmore Girls Taught Me to Write My Own Story
Or: How a 12-Year-Old’s Fan Fiction Became a Life Lesson in Creativity
The Gilmore Girls Season 3 finale aired twenty-two (ish) years ago. As a twelve-year-old super fan, I watched as the episode served up a cocktail of triumphs—Rory’s powerful valedictorian speech dedicated to her resilient mother, Lorelai, and Lorelai finally achieving her dream of owning an inn—mixed with the understated, no less bitter bite of Jess and Rory’s breakup. It’s a perfect 45 minutes of television.
Looking back now, I love how it brilliantly closes one chapter of the Gilmore Girls’ stories while opening another. But at the time? I was furious.
Of course, I loved the episode. But I had so many questions. What happens next? Will Jess and Rory reconnect? Does Jess make a last-minute grand gesture and meet up with Rory and Lorelai in Europe?
This is where I should admit something: I love spoilers.
I read the ends of books first. I sometimes stream the last episode of a series before I even start it. People find this appalling. “How could you do that? Doesn’t it ruin everything?” No. It often makes it better.
We don’t get spoilers in real life. We don’t know how our decisions will turn out. But with books and TV? We can cheat the system. We can know how it ends before we even begin.
Except in 2003, I couldn’t. No streaming. No staying up late to binge-watch the next season. No Netflix thumbnails casually giving away key plot points. I couldn’t even rewatch the episode unless I had taped it (spoiler: I hadn’t).
So, I did the next best thing.
I pulled out my pink fuzzy journal, tore out pages of a fantasy story I’d abandoned, and started scribbling—scene after scene, imagining my version of Season 4. In my world, Rory and Jess worked things out, learned from their mistakes, and built something better.
Hours later, I put the pen down and realized something strange: I felt better. The restlessness, the unanswered questions, the frustration—they were gone. I had created my version, and somehow, that was enough.
Writing Our Own Stories—Literally and Figuratively
At twelve, I didn’t care if my version of Gilmore Girls was "right." I didn’t write for an audience or second-guess my choices. I just needed to get it down on the page.
And now, as an adult and a writer, I look back at that moment and realize how foundational it was—not just for my love of storytelling, but for the way I navigate life.
Because having the courage to write your own story is everything.
It’s scary. It’s uncertain. It often means making choices without knowing how they’ll turn out. But whether on the page or in real life, storytelling gives us a way to make sense of it all.
We don’t always get spoilers. But we do get to decide what happens next.
Welcome to Live In Story
Stories have always been my way of understanding the world—whether through writing, film, or the creative process itself. Live In Story is where I explore the art of storytelling and the craft of living.
Some weeks, I’ll break down what makes a story immersive. Other times, I’ll reflect on the messy creative process or the lessons we take from the narratives we love.
Either way, I’m glad you’re here.
Cheers & XO,
Karen
Love this! ❤️