Cracking Concepts #7: Close to greatness
Don’t feel that your protagonist has to be the President of the United States. Or a famous rock star. Or a champion sports person. We’ve seen lots of those stories. What can be more original and relatable is a story about the “ordinary” people in their orbit who normally go unnoticed.
Like the postman delivering Pablo Neruda’s mail in Il Postino.
Or the speech therapist who gets rid of more than just a stammer in The King’s Speech.
Or the eponymous “help” who serves a succession of presidents in The Butler.
Idea starters:
Think of a character is hugely successful, powerful and important – in politics, business, sport or entertainment – then think of someone who is a part of their world but who has none of their power, wealth or fame.
Who cuts their hair?
Who teaches their kids?
Who sells them their underwear?
Who mows their lawn?
Who collects their garbage?
Who makes their coffee?
Who resoles their shoes?
Who cuts their keys?
Who does their taxes?
Who cleans their toilet?
Who teaches them to drive?
Who walks their dogs?
Who teaches them a foreign language or translates an important conversation for them?
Who drives them to and from their dates?
Who takes their confessions?
Who teaches them something that they’re not very good at?
Who is wiser than they are and what lesson can they teach them?