 Drama: July 14, 2010 Issue [#3846] |
  Drama
This week: Boredom does breed creativity! Edited by: Adriana Noir  
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Hi! I'm Adriana Noir , and I will be your editor this week. Drama thrives under pressure. Conflict breeds creativity when it comes to this well-known genre. But, what happens when everything is going right?
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Misery loves company. Most of us have been cautioned against feeding it from an early age and schooled to avoid the vacuum it creates. Drama is easy to write when there is plenty of conflict to fuel your characters' actions. When their world is rife with problems and angst, the story often seems to write itself. The problem here is, life doesn't always work that way.
As much as some of us may enjoy making our characters suffer, there comes a point when even they must find some respite from this hectic whirlwind we call life. After all, even the most cursed among us surely don't suffer twenty-four seven. These lulls may cause peace for the fictional people we create, but for a write, it often causes stress. We find ourselves asking, "What next?"
Here lies the real gem: boredom creates conflict and possibility.
For instance, on the way down to the sunny shores of Florida where I am now relaxing, we stopped at a restaurant inside one of those travel plazas. You know the ones . . . usually dingy and filled with questionable folks. I was eagerly anticipating an hour or so of people watching, perhaps drawing inspiration from a person or two, but, the diner was empty. Waitress aside, there wasn't a single other soul in sight. Needless to say, I slumped with disappointment and my Gemini side quickly saw to a fit of boredom.
But then, my mind got to thinking. Why were there no other people around? Did the place have a history of food poisoning? Perhaps they had an insane cook. Maybe it wasn't really steak they were serving. Maybe the place was riddled with alien abductions, hungry gators, or other unexplainable phenomenon.
I twirled my fork and glanced around.
It would be really easy for someone to wipe out the cash register and there wouldn't even be any witnesses. Even the plaza itself seemed deserted.
Of course, I sat there and ate my meal in peace, but boy was my mind racing, conjuring different scenes, playing each one out to the end. That is the gift of being creative. Even the most mundane situations provide fodder. Are our characters so different?
Inactivity, staleness, and boredom often lure us into doing silly things. We aren't immune to making mistakes. Crimes, affairs, temporary bouts of insanity . . . all of these things are often fueled by the above.
So, the next time you find yourself stuck or uninspired, take a look around. Ask your characters why nothing is happening. Ask them what they can do to alleviate the lull in action. The answers they come up with might just surprise you.
~Best wishes and happy writing!~ 
Adriana Noir
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Joy  : “What would my favorite hero do?” Such a good question! I must remember this. Thanks for an encouraging newsletter. 
Thank you, Joy! I try!
Mara ♣ McBain  : Great points, from our characters to ourselves. I have to admit to a whole lot of giving up and not much else as of late. Thanks for the kick in the rear! 
Wellll...I wasn't going to say anything, Mara.  Now stop procrastinating and write!
Coolhand : Your Drama Newsletter on "fight or flight" was great advice, and right on time for me, Adriana. Thanks.
My pleasure, Coolhand. Thank you!
Jeff  : Great NL, Adriana! Fight or flight is a great dynamic to explore, especially when a character is torn between which path to choose. One of my favorite character types to write is the redemptive storyline of someone who has chosen flight, and now has to dig in and fight. Yes, I want to have my cake and eat it too.
Thank you, thank you! I have to agree there, SoCal. One of my favorite stories that I wrote involved a young man who did just that. I'm greedy like that, too.
Fiona Hassan : You made some great points in this newsletter. The fight or flight instincts make for good stories, and thank you for pointing this out. I probably knew it in my subconscious, but needed it to be stated. Thank you!
-Fiona
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