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Saturday, March 7, 2009

Drama Is Everywhere

This morning I was awakened by a search for a knee pad and disdain over chocolate chip muffins versus friendship bread. The drama went on for at least an hour, all before 9am. As I lay in bed trying to ignore my niece's cries and wondering how people can talk so much that early in the morning, I was reminded that drama is all around us and if you are ever in search for fodder for your stories, just look and listen to those around you. 

No matter where we are from, there is a universal language amongst us all: the human emotion. We may react differently to situations but the reaction itself can be related to by all. Chocolate chip muffins caused sorrow in my niece but the rest of us were overjoyed by the tasty, homemade treats. These disparate reactions are what create drama amongst us. 

Our everyday drama may not be overly cinematic but that's where storytelling is exciting. Taking our everyday experiences and expounding on them, massaging them, twisting and turning them into something extremely funny or sad or insightful. 

So whenever you are developing or writing a story and you think you have hit a wall, just look around you. The drama might be sitting right in front of you. 

4 comments:

Erik Hammen said...

I think breakfast might even be the meal that hits hardest, because you're at your most vulnerable.
Frankly, if I was in the mood for friendship bread or oatmeal or whatever, and someone rolled out the choco muffins, I'd be bummed. Imagine if someone offered hot cocoa instead of coffee!

Jane Kelly Kosek said...

Good point! My niece would agree with you!

Anonymous said...

My life is a soap opera...I soo get what you mean!

TAL said...

Great post.

I think if we all sit back and really take a look at our lives we would see many stories unfold.

The single mother of two, trying to pay her bills. The college student who secretly sells drugs to pay for books...Yes, I may be getting off on a tangent, but everyone has a story to be told.

Timothy
Boston Digital Imaging