Monday 8 December 2008

Eureka!

Had a bit of a eureka moment today. It just came to me, like a brain-gift, as I got in my car to drive to work. A story idea, high-concept, romantic comedy. Marketable, fun. Easy to sum up in one sentence. Really juicy female lead. Well, I think so, anyway.

I've learned to treat my eurekas with a bit of suspicion. So, as I wound my way up the Dartmoor lanes to work, doing a bit of car-skating on black ice (you get used to it), I tried to cool myself on this idea. "It's just as stupid as all the others," I said. "You always love new ideas, but most of them turn out to be lousy." But nothing worked.

"This one really does seem good."

"You always say that, and slow down or we're going to be grabbing some hedge."

"Oh yeah. Thanks. But listen, I do think this one is good. Let's just think about some of the cool beats."

"You already have enough to do. Forget it."

"No. I'm going to write it down, just as a logline. Then let it rest a day or so. Then, I'll just start making a few notes."

"No! Focus on your current projects. This one will turn out to be as lame as a...woah we have no control at all now, do we?"

"None. I'm going to make a few notes. Quickly, before I start setting up for the day. Post-it notes."

"Yeah right. You say post-it notes, but I know what you'll be doing by the weekend. You'll be going up to Exeter. You'll pretend it's for Christmas shopping, and you'll do some of that for cover. But we both know you'll be buying a new notebook at that trendy stationers. AAARRGHH!"

"Sorry."

"Good thing that was only a hedge."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear I'm not the only one having creative tussles with myself... :)

Andy Phillips said...

Yeah, but do you go car-skating, Lindsay?

Paula said...

I love when mine come just before I fall asleep, and I think, nah, don't need to get up and write this one down because it's so profoundly brilliant I couldn't possibly ever forget it. Well, guess what?

Andy Phillips said...

Ha!