Love your comment, Sieran. Here are some quick notes on a few things you said:

• First time I hear of Raymond Carver. But love hearing how you caught yourself trying to throw him into a group he might not even be a part of!
• I recently read Anne Frank and yes, she was basically an ordinary teenage girl who just happened to find herself in a horrible situation.
• If stories are too extraordinary, they can often alienate audiences. So even if your story is extraordinary, you actually have to make an effort to find something ordinary people can relate to.
• Everything has been said already. But everyone needs constant reminders :-)