I’m always writing notes for one thing or another. It helps pass the time if I’m waiting in a very long bank queue, or trying to look busy and productive.
At some point, those scribbles on recycled paper are scrutinised in the hope that something interesting has popped out of my idling brain.
Below is an excerpt of an idea I’m doodling with:
Dramatis personae
-- an idealist who will be corrupted
-- an innocent who will be sacrificed
-- a damned soul who dares to seek redemption
As I looked at that role call and its accompanying notes, I admired my subconscious mind: this could be the beginning of something. Those three characters, executed with care and precision, could exceed their archetypal origins and become players in a story that an audience could care for — cheer for, even — unaware of the cruel fates I have in mind for them. Why, this story —
INT. FORTRESS MAMEA -- DAY
Our PET WRITER turns to find his LOVELY WIFE reading over his shoulder:
THE LOVELY WIFE
(off Pet Writer’s notes)
... Another rambunctious comedy, I see.
