Poop Shute

A Story To Tell

Not too long ago, my good friend Ryan went out of his way to call me and tell me I needed to be a writer. He was doing some reading on the oral histories and story-tellers and the like that predate modern literature, and his mind began to wander. He started thinking about the best story-tellers he knows in his own life, and immediately thought of me. He decided to urge me to take it more seriously.

Everybody likes a good ego-stroke, once in a while, and I was very flattered. It also came as kind of a surprise. I've always been a "writer" as long as I can remember. Even back as young as eight or nine years old I was already keeping the good ol' fashioned paper journal. I was even published a couple times in the school art/poetry magazines in middle school and high school. It was always something I loved, but I never felt like anyone really took notice of my work. I was always praised for my drawings and paintings, and later acting, but rarely ever did I feel like people thought of me as a writer. I think I let those external perceptions of me color where my focus lead me. I kind followed the accolades basically, like a well-trained seal, I jumped for my fish.

It makes me wish one of two things:

1) I had been more self-aware of the causes of my decisions at a younger age, and more thoughtful about what I really wanted

or

2) The "fish" had been thrown to the writer in me more often.

Anyway, I've been reading a lot of books on writing since that conversation with Ryan, and I've been trying to journal more to generate some ideas. The idea is if I just keep the pen (or the keyboard) moving and filter through all that quantity of words to find out what is important to me, I will find the story that I should be telling.

Tonight, I found it, but I found it in the form of another medium. I saw a chunk of a documentary by Mr ADRIAN GRENIER entitled SHOT IN THE DARK. Suddenly, there it was in front of me. I want to film a documentary. I know it's not writing, strictly speaking, but I will cull and weave together what serves my idea out of hundreds of hours of interviews. The story will be told by everyday people, but guided and shaped and ultimately brought to light by me. I know the exact story too.

The story itself I shall hang onto for the moment. Another bit of advice from the writing books is to not share the story until work is well under way on it. It's some pshychological thing that just telling it sort of lets the air out your sails. But the whole thing is clearly taking shape in my mind. It is a human universal. Everyone can identify with it. It has touched us all, either directly or indirectly, at some point in our lives. It is sad that it is a universal, but it is the world we live in. The world we created for ourselves.

I say honestly, and without arrogance that the idea I have is a great one. At the very least I know it is a topic with great appeal. I only hope I can serve it well. One of the writing books I read mentioned some writers take several months or even years of digging to find their story. After only a couple months of looking, I found one. I am thankful.

More importantly, I'm excited.

Thank you, Mr Grenier.

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Shot in the Dark is a great film, by the way. I highly recommend it. Anyone who has ever had any kind of emotional issues with their dad will identify with Adrian's quest.