For this blog I would like to run
an idea by all of you. And whether you
respond or not, it helps me think to write down my ideas and share them with
people.
This particular idea is for a short
story. Now, I’ve got a few short stories
that I’ve already written that I’m constantly, very slowly, working on
improving. And I’ve got a few ideas for
stories that I just haven’t written yet.
But this is the first decent (I think) idea for a story that I’ve had in
quite a while. And as usual, the
inspiration for it came from music; particularly Todd Snider’s “West Nashville Grand
ballroom Gown” and O.C.M.S’ “Wagon Wheel”.
Here’s
just the basic outline for the story:
There’s two hitchhikers (I haven’t decided where) one’s a
man, the other’s a woman.
He’s a failed musician still in love with his ex and hoping
that hitching to her will win her back.
He’s naïve, idealistic, and stubbornly optimistic. (Like a slightly less stupid Dylan from
Modern Family)
She’s running away from home and her oppressive family. Basically looking to get lost.
She’s not quick to trust and has an overinflated ego,
thinking she’s much cleverer than she really is.
They happen to be traveling to the same place.
They run into each other hitching. Competing for rides, etc. She avoids him at first, but he tries to
befriend her.
While trying to befriend her, he shows up in the nick of
time to save her from a dangerous situation.
She doesn’t thank him, but instead just leaves, continuing to hitch.
Later on down the road, someone picks him up, and then
steals his guitar and all his possessions.
He runs in to her soon after, and she had recognized his stuff and
stolen in back, she returns it to him.
They continue their journeys, and travel together some. They even spend a couple nights in a couple
motels. But she doesn’t stay with him,
she leaves one morning before he wakes up.
They run into each other a couple more times, and are
cordial, they finally meet one last time just before they get to their
destination.
Meeting him gives her a chance to resolve some of her trust
issues, and meeting her gives him a chance to get over some of his naïveté. The story ends right after that final
meeting.
The reader never sees the hitchers reach their destinations,
and never knows whether they learned their respective lessons.
The intended moral for the reader is that the journey matters
more than the destination, and that opportunities to learn and change will land
in your lap, but that it’s up to you to notice and to do something with the
opportunity.
Possible title: The Destination
Now, I
only came up with this idea about three minutes before I sat down to write this
and honestly added a bunch more to this idea as I was writing the blog. Still, keep in mind that this is just the
very first pre pre pre pre draft of the story.
Still, what do you all think? Is
it worth taking the time to write more?
Got a better suggestion for the title?
Got an idea for a location? Let
me know either in the comments on here or my facebook. Or you can just tell me what you think the
next time I see you.
Also,
in future blogs, would you like to see more bare bones story ideas like this,
or perhaps I should just post one of my stories that I’ve been slowly working
on?
Thanks for reading!
