Fodder

I frequently set aside Dear Abby sections then lose them. They are intended for my writer's toolbox. Some of the things people are willing to write in about are priceless, often in a tragicomic way. For someone who likes black comedy it is a treasure trove. I don't care for the new breed of talk shows, though they offer the same fodder. I get little doses though. I use a television as a backup alarm, and it is not on cable so I go with the best reception channel -- CBS. At 9 AM Montel comes on, telling me to get a move on.

I don't need to be at the office until 10 AM, though I like to be earlier. I was in a typical lazy Monday mode this morning and was blessed with Montel. Generally I turn it off pretty quickly and jump on the motorcycle as quick as I can, but this one was too good. Several months back a twenty something woman was about to be married to the father of the child she was carrying. She looked grown up in that soft, pretty, pliable, vulnerable way. It was a happy relationship for her. Then, the day of, or day before the wedding, he splits. Now get this, to live with her mother. Oh my gentle Jesus! Not only that, the CBS folks verified her side of the story with a lie detector test. The new couple actually appeared on the show expecting people to understand. To them the only significant issue was whether the man should be called Grandpa or Dad. She had a better solution, and hasn't seen them since, though sadly she would like to have a relationship with her mother some time. She seemed on the fast track to maturity so I have hope. I guess I got hooked into trash programming for a bit.

You see something like that, and farfetched becomes a meaningless concept. Why do I find it so hard to create these kind of characters? I need to keep reminding myself they are plausible and real. Hell, the mother's blatant lying, sounding exactly like our leadership should remind me of that. I need to un-soften a lot of my characters.

A friend at work just sent me a link about the musical Rent which I don't even remember hearing about. I want to see it now. It reached me, and is a touching recap of the process. Also, I found some writing tips, and most importantly was reminded that rewrites are where a play is built. A timely reminder in my discouragement.