According to some cat long before the internet, there's only seven stories. That's right, the latest, greatest idea/concept you came up with last night has been done. Don't panic. I have before, but I didn't a few weeks ago. It played out like this...
I'm friends with a lady on a social media site. She is one "hot mess", but that's not the point here... at least not the main point. Anyway, in following her I discovered, or was made aware of a group of people that exist in the shadows. No, not aliens, but in the shadows of the virtual world. They walk among us. I became intrigued. She and I had a conversation where she filled me in with the 'Readers Digest' version of their activities. Immediately my mind went to, "There's a movie in there somewhere." I asked her to write me a couple of pages of narrative concerning specifics of the "lurkers". She agreed and I anxiously awaited the info until "squirrel", I became distracted with some very positive developments on a project I had been developing for SIX long years. Now this took place about nine months or so ago. With the development on my long suffering project, I didn't give the other concept/idea another thought. And "Ms. Hot Mess", not another word from her concerning the idea/concept until...
A couple of weeks ago she sends me a link. It was a link to a press release, the announcement that a certain very "A" list actor/producer was developing a feature film on the VERY SAME IDEA/CONCEPT she and I discussed months ago. She followed with... "@xxxxxxxx you called that movie right there. Not necessarily that case but XXXXXX/ XXXX... Yea, that".
Okay, it was a tweet, and "Xs" have been inserted in place of idea/concept. (You don't think I'm going to let you steal our "original" idea?) Ms. Hot Mess and I got together on the phone. She cursed, I cursed like a sailor (former Navy), she cursed some more...in Spanglish (she's Latina), and we hung up to lick our wounds in solitude.
After several pitiful moments, it hit me. Mr. "A" list focused on a single tree. He forced me to expand what had been a narrow view. The forrest was still there. There were plenty of trees still standing. I called Ms. Hot Mess..."we're going to develop a gritty, edgy TV series". So, with Mr. "A" list lending credence and credibility to our concept, we're off and running.
Three things to take away from this...
1. Don't re-invent the storytelling wheel.
2. Don't miss the forrest for the trees.
3.. You don't need Rosetta Stone to learn "Spanglish"
Have a creative day
Scotty
