It took me a little while to figure out how to get back to this blog.
I've been thinking about that 'write what you know' advice, and another level on which it often fails.
Real life experiences can sometimes be stranger than fiction, and more importantly, they don't have to make sense.
I visited the walk of fame in Hollywood a few years ago. Struggling actors dress up as costumed characters and busk for change from tourists in exchange for having their pictures taken. Some spots are considered 'prime', and there's a bit of competition for them, sometimes violent.
There was a person dressed in a spectacular Davey Jones (from Pirates) costume, and a fairly viable Jack Sparrow set up shop on one side of him. A few minutes later, another Jack appeared on his left. The Jacks glared at each other behind the scene stealing Davey (neither Jack was particularly good performance wise, and both were relying on the attention of the center performer). They began catcalling and harassing each other.
This escalated to fisticuffs after a little while.
That's right - in real life, I saw two Jack Sparrows trying to beat the crap out of each other while Davey Jones watched, shrugging and waving to the crowd.
If I put this in a story, no one would believe me. It didn't make a whole lot of sense (perhaps in the context of desperate actors?), and it had not much to do with the rest of my day. I have no idea how this would fit into a narrative.
Mostly, this was an excuse to tell you all about the fistfight between Jacks with Davey Jones keeping score, which was just awesome.
I've been thinking about that 'write what you know' advice, and another level on which it often fails.
Real life experiences can sometimes be stranger than fiction, and more importantly, they don't have to make sense.
I visited the walk of fame in Hollywood a few years ago. Struggling actors dress up as costumed characters and busk for change from tourists in exchange for having their pictures taken. Some spots are considered 'prime', and there's a bit of competition for them, sometimes violent.
There was a person dressed in a spectacular Davey Jones (from Pirates) costume, and a fairly viable Jack Sparrow set up shop on one side of him. A few minutes later, another Jack appeared on his left. The Jacks glared at each other behind the scene stealing Davey (neither Jack was particularly good performance wise, and both were relying on the attention of the center performer). They began catcalling and harassing each other.
This escalated to fisticuffs after a little while.
That's right - in real life, I saw two Jack Sparrows trying to beat the crap out of each other while Davey Jones watched, shrugging and waving to the crowd.
If I put this in a story, no one would believe me. It didn't make a whole lot of sense (perhaps in the context of desperate actors?), and it had not much to do with the rest of my day. I have no idea how this would fit into a narrative.
Mostly, this was an excuse to tell you all about the fistfight between Jacks with Davey Jones keeping score, which was just awesome.
How very surreal! It would be fun to find a way to put it in a story.
ReplyDeleteThat's frickin' hilarious.
ReplyDelete@Martin - if you ever get to LA County, spend an hour on Hollywood Blvd. It is singularly the most desperate, depressing, and bizarre single block of any city I've been to. (There are plenty that are the first two - but none I would recommend visiting.)
ReplyDelete@Fairyhedgehog - If you can put it in a story and have it make sense in context, you're welcome to it.