I would rather watch a movie
There is nothing new under the sun. I’m sure you’ve heard this saying before. And it is so very true. If one looks hard enough, there has been jealousy, murder, betrayal since the dawn of time. The hardest thing as a writer is to present the same story in a different and unique way.
Recently, I watched or rather listened to a movie and had my brother and his wife give a description of relevant scenes I couldn’t see. The movie was Unhinged about a man with some serious road rage to the point he follows home a motorist and burns his house down. The heroine of the movie happens to get behind this motorist and blares her horn at him when he doesn’t move for a green light. He gives her a chance for a sincere apology, which she doesn’t take and well things go south from there.
Already this movie puts me in mind of Changing Lanes with Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. The two of them go about making each other’s lives miserable until well I won’t spoil the endings, but one learns the error of their ways while the other doesn’t.
Or maybe you’re a fan of the Die Hard and Speed franchises from the late 80s and early 90s; when some critics called Speed ‘Die Hard’ on a bus or cruise ship. Go ahead and nod your head, ‘cause you’d be right.
Being original is a balancing act. A writer wants the originality but at the same time wants to give the reader what they want. If anyone follows ‘The Repairman Jack’ series, the author F. Paul Wilson made a reader’s note that there were no more stories from Jack he could tell. As unfortunate as ending a series or standalone may be, it’s what’s best for the author and for the character.
Readers want a good read; with relatable characters and situations they can overcome Or at least live through...
While I try to give the readers a little of what they want, I do my best to balance it with some originality and try to keep predictability to a minimum. It isn’t always easy. I write what I like to read or at least what is in my heart. Hopefully, the same attracts the readers.
Thanks for having me here!
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