Writing and the Creative Life: Need writing inspiration? Go to an airport.

All those arrivals and departures represent a non-stop flow of stories.

As writers, sometimes we can use a little inspiration, something to ignite our creative synapses and stimulate our imagination.

Me? I like to watch people and brainstorm who they are… where they’ve come from… where they’re going to… what drama might be going on in their lives… and see if a story idea emerges from my observations.

Remember that scene from Annie Hall in which Alvy is sitting in a park with Annie, and he’s describing all the passersby, attributing a variety of fictional backgrounds to them?

“[That guy] just came back from the gin rummy farm last night… [another guy] he’s the Mafia, linen supply business or cement and contract… [another guy] the winner of the Truman Capote look-alike contest…”

Parks are a good place to people-watch, however there’s generally not a lot of drama happening. That’s why I prefer to go to airports.

Well, I don’t actually drive to an airport and park myself inside for an afternoon for the sole purpose of checking out people, although I admit I’ve thought about doing that. Rather when I’m traveling, I’ll generally spend a half-hour or so just tracking the comings and goings of strangers, and conceptualizing something of their life stories. Like this photo below:

At first, I’m thinking it’s a mother with her children. Maybe she’s married and taking the kids home to see their dad. Or a single mother, recently divorced, traveling with her children for the first time as their sole parent.

But wait. She’s got brunette hair and the kids are blonde. Moreover she’s not dressed like a mother going on a trip with two active young children. Check out those heels. Wouldn’t she be wearing flats? And the skirt. Not so good for chasing two kids up and down airport aisles. Maybe she’s not their mother at all…

Then I notice the lanyards around the kids’ necks. Ah, they’re traveling as unaccompanied minors and the woman is a representative of the airline, responsible for overseeing the kids for their flight.

Now my wheels are spinning. What if this is the flight attendant’s first such assignment… and she’s landed The Children From Hell. Well, not literally Hell, but troublemakers, a hot-wired combo plate of extreme curiosity and kinetic energy. The girls stumble into an A plot and off you go into a high concept comedy… or perhaps thriller.

How about this airport scene:

I’m thinking last flight of the day has been canceled, so a group of strangers is forced to spend the night camped out. That’s a great way of pulling together a diverse group of people with radically different backgrounds. First class, business class, coach, doesn’t matter, they’re all stuck, forced onto the same level of existence by the capricious nature of air travel.

The people are frustrated. Some have small dramas going on. Others facing significant personal issues. This woman is traveling to see her mother who has fallen gravely ill. That guy has extorted money from his business and is desperate to flee the country to start a new life. That young woman is flying to check into a high-priced substance abuse rehabilitation center. Does she have the willpower to make it there?

This setup feels more like a play to me. Then again, it could be The Terminal meets The Breakfast Club.

But scenes like these are my favorite:

Reuniting couples. Hugs and kisses. Smiles and tears. Ah, the proverbial happy ending to a romance story.

Or is it? What if he is putting up a happy front, loving mate and all that, but while the wife has been away, he’s paid a cool ten grand to a hit man who’s going to whack the woman so the dude can collect insurance money?

But wait. What is she went on her trip, ostensibly a holiday with girlfriends, only instead while away she hired her own hit man (actually hit woman). And just there to the right off screen is the assassin. The wife’s hug is to identify the hit woman’s target — the husband.

The hit man and the hit woman intersect… and wouldn’t you know it, they hit it off. And while fending off a variety of hit attempts, the dysfunctional couple becomes functional, forced together to stave off getting whacked.

Suddenly, I’m looking at a fun action comedy.

I’ve got a flight to Canada in two weeks. A three-day presentation and consultation with an entertainment company there. When I’m in the airport, I’ll be keeping my eyes open … for stories happening around me.

Why don’t you try that on your next trip?

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