There is a couple I’ve known about for at least 10 years. The
wife works full time. The husband, as far as I know, has never worked and is
often in the county jail for up to 12 months. This man looks like a criminal
and is, basically, a total asshole. I suspect he abuses his wife. He spends all
his wife’s money on himself while not working any kind of job on his own, and,
what is worse, he acts like he is something special.
So one day I just thought, what would this guy do if someone
at a party or a bar asked him, innocently, “What do you do for a living?” What
would his answer be? And, further, how would he react if someone challenged him
on it and tried to make him admit he was a bum?
So I started writing a story from those questions. Once the
main tension was established I just kept writing and writing blindly until an
actual fiction story emerged somehow. Then, I went back and changed the beginning to go
with this new story.
What came out as I typed, of course, is completely different
from the real-life couple.
My site: mikemonson.org
3 comments:
Patti - Thanks for hosting Mike.
Mike - Thanks for sharing the inspiration for your story. I do a lot of 'what-if' myself and you're right about its power.
I enjoy what I've read of Mike Monson's work.
Great post on the process.
Some of my ideas begin in very similar ways. real life people make great jumping off spots.
Post a Comment