A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 2

This is the 12th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I’ll work my through during this series of posts.

Here’s another one: The only way to find a great story idea is to work your way through a bunch of crap ideas.

Ira Glass (“This American Life”), arguably one of the most knowledgeable people around today re storytelling, said this:

“You have to record and get rid of a lot of crap before you find something special.”

Same thing with screenwriting: You have to generate a bunch of crappy ideas before you find something special. Still don’t believe me? How about the wisdom of Linus Pauling:

“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.”

Linus Pauling should know, one of the few people to win multiple Nobel Prizes.

So why focus on generating a bunch of story ideas? Because most of the ones you come up with will be crap. However somewhere along the line, you’ll find some that a pure gold.

Today’s story idea: Martha Stewart’s Gardener Has Spent 45 Days in Quarantine With Her at Her Bedford Estate.

In March, Ryan McCallister made a fateful decision. As quarantine restrictions went into effect, he decided to leave his New York City apartment and head to his job as gardener at the Bedford, New York, home of Martha Stewart. “I thought to myself, ‘Why not just stay in the guest house for a few days until this is over?’” he said recently via cell phone from her property.

Forty five days later, McCallister, along with Stewart’s driver and housekeeper, are still at the 150-acre compound. They eat their meals with her, play cards with her at night, and in McCallister’s case, work long hours with her on the estate grounds.

Ah, aren’t they cute? What a lovely little story, all peaches and cream. Know what? That SUCKS as far as a movie goes. Why?

Where’s the conflict?!?!

My mind goes to movies like Driving Miss Daisy: An old Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.

I’m also thinking of Sunset Blvd.: A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.

Now things start to percolate in my mind. Sure, there will be a slew of movies about the pandemic. But will any of them be a comedy?

The setup: I envision a daytime TV personality. Think Judge Judy.

Once at the height of popularity, she is now a disgraced figure. Maybe a sex scandal… or extortion scheme… some big brouhaha that made headlines in the National Enquirer, the New York Post, and all the yellow journo-rags, day after day, week after week, until she was terminated from her rich syndicated TV contract. Now it’s four years later and she lives alone in her expansive estate.

She’s a bitter woman… hell, let’s call her Judy… and maybe she has a right to feel maligned. Perhaps the case against her was manufactured by a rival: Judge Joanie! Judy wanders the halls, swilling Jack Daniels, surrounded by dozens of photos of her with celebrities… winning awards… giving speeches. And now… nothing. One endless day after another. She might as well be dead… and maybe she does have thoughts of suicide.

Now meet Ji-yoo. She is the longtime gardener for Judy’s estate.

For years, she’s been dutifully tending to all the estate’s botanical needs. And not ONCE has Judy ever spoken to Ji-yoo, never even acknowledged here. Ji-yoo shows up every Tuesday, arriving at 6:30AM on the dot. She works all day with the flowers and fauna. While Judy’s house itself may be showing some wear and tear, the gardens are immaculate. Ji-yoo has a special connection with nature. She takes pride in her work and relies on her pay, dutifully placed in a stone statue by Judy’s assistant each week: $300. It represents a major portion of Ji-yoo’s monthly income.

Then the pandemic. The Governor gets on social media: Due to the virus, he is mandating a statewide stay-at-home order. Wherever you are, stay there. This is the law! Violators will be arrested, tried, and jailed!

Ji-yoo only learns of this while she is at Judy’s estate. She is stuck there. She rings the doorbell to Judy’s house. Judy appears. Has no idea who Ji-yoo is. An awkward exchange. Ji-yoo can’t leave. Judy does NOT want Ji-yoo to stay. However, there’s no way around the situation. Instant conflict!

There’s the setup. Two characters from absolutely different lives. Judy fabulously wealthy, but miserable. Ji-yoo barely making it financially, but happy. Two women. Different cultures. Stuck together on a two-acre paradise amidst a global pandemic.

It’s a two-hander with echoes of Being There and The King’s Speech. Could be a great character study. And if some Bad Guys show up later in the story creating a threat to Judy and Ji-yoo, this could force them to work together to protect Judy’s home. Maybe a dollop of Home Alone in this story?

There you go: My second story idea for the month. And it’s yours. Free!

Day 1

What would you do with this story concept?

Each day in April, I invite you to join me in comments to do some brainstorming. Take each day’s story idea and see what it can become when we play around with it. These are valuable skills for a writer to develop.

See you in RESPONSES to hear YOUR take on this story idea. And come back tomorrow for another Story Idea Each Day For A Month.