Table for One: Cultivating Brilliance

eavesdropping

by Diana Black

Some writers are considered brilliant – born with a ‘creative spoon in their mouth’ – able to craft amazing stories with strong multi-dimensional plots, rich story-worlds and compelling characters lolling about on every fictitious street-corner. Their stories demand our attention from ‘Fade In’ to ‘Fade Out’ but let’s not sell these guys/gals short.

Celebrated writers tend to possess a strong mastery of their craft and able to work damn hard in a disciplined manner. While they may be gifted, they do have a ‘magic feather’….

Other writers, like you and I have to cultivate creative brilliance – and we can! Having a fire in the belly, that turns hours into minutes; with a gripping tale on paper to show for it – that’s often difficult; especially after a long, hard week at a shitty day job. So before we start turning a pale shade of green, or worse, giving up, let’s come up with a way to cultivate brilliance.

Oh, the ‘magic feather’ – a few actually – an unfettered imagination, ‘balls’ (regardless of gender), and a willingness to ‘take it to the edge’.

Having trouble thinking outside the box and coming up with source material? They don’t. So maybe, give this a try…

Go to a restaurant – $$ in the pocket, sans company – dare you. Enjoying a formal dinner while dining alone may seem daunting – but think of the covert attention you’ll receive – other patrons will concoct stories about you and your circumstance long after they’ve left – especially if you wear something striking – make it memorable.

After all, you’re paying your dues – to them. But if you can’t handle that much public solitude, go to an up-market café – one with big windows.

With either, take a large note-pad, a hefty book (fine print) to ‘read’ and ‘take notes’ from it – you won’t be, but it needs to look like you are. If anyone takes more than a passing glance in your direction, they’ll think you’re a student and be sympathetic – you working alone rather than enjoying the company of a significant other. Get there early enough to see the ‘performers’ arrive – you can tell a lot about a character simply by how they conduct themselves into a room.

OK, you’re seated at a back table, facing the others, beyond which is an expansive window. Be seen admiring the view. You’re a polite voyeur – using only your peripheral vision to observe your unsuspecting ‘performers’. Order something substantial so the staff leaves you alone.

Then, get to work…

Imagine that each café patron – at least one from each table, is a character in the story. It doesn’t matter that we don’t have a story yet; character sometimes comes first.

Note the clothing – well-dressed, shabby, tasteful, ghastly, loud or boring. How does each performer conduct themselves in company? What are they doing with their hands? Their dialogue – are they commanding attention (not with volume but with ‘presence’) or are they a ‘wallflower’?

What about the rhythm and volume of that dialogue? Note the power dynamics within the group – does your character make eye contact, do they interrupt? Determine the ‘pecking order’ at the table and there will be one – check out who leads in terms of action and who follows – determine how/why.

Once you have a ‘cast’, imagine the most outrageous back-story for each of them. Seriously outrageous!

What are they hiding, who’s in conflict with whom, who’s having an affair – with another patron across the room or at their table? Who knows? Who’s clueless?

Who’s a pedophile, committed murder, is a cross-dresser, is a saint to the homeless – two and four-legged – starving on their corner block? Who’s in serious trouble over finances – to the point of suicide? Of course 90% of the ‘cast’ will seem mind-numbingly dull – embellish them later.

While you might appear lonely and bookish, you’re a sleuth on a reconnaissance mission taking colorful characters and outrageous circumstances ‘off the shelf’ as if it was a grocery store – and come out the experience with one hell of a fine story in the end.

Have fun!


Diana Black is an Australian actress and writer currently taking Larry Brody’s Master Class.

We're looking forward to your comments!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.