When Fate smiles, a hush falls over the room, and our inner caveman dares to venture outside the circle of firelight to gaze open-mouthed at her seductive ghost. For she speaks to us from the shadows in capital letters, no matter what name we call her: Serendipity, Lady Luck, or perhaps Divine Intervention.
A thousand horrible little misfortunes may assail us daily with neither rhyme nor reason. We shake our heads at the sheer random chance of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But when that one Opportunity or that uniquely special Someone walks through the door with a million dollar smile and our heart in their hands, we know that Kismet has turned her eyes upon us and we are Chosen.
We may sacrifice, we may meticulously plan and work our fingers to the bone. But when Destiny offers her benediction, she arises like a parade balloon saint and steals all the credit.
Me? I don’t believe in fate, with or without the capital letter. I think more things are random than we care to admit. And yet…and yet…when an unbelievably apropos writing opportunity landed in my lap, I backed away from the fire and gazed up at the stars and wondered, why me?
It isn’t wise to dwell on such questions. Rather, let me relate my brush with Kismet (yes, she is as beautiful as they say). I was lying in a cheap motel in a small town in Utah watching bad cable TV when my phone rang. At ten o’clock at night? Who would call me here? Now? Must be a wrong number. Through the miracle of technology (aka cell phone caller ID) I ruled out any number of familial crises and chose to answer anyway.
The voice on the other end asked, “Remember me? You helped so much when we were editing our movie trailer last winter.”
I recalled nodding my head a lot on a Skype call after meeting the aspiring creator of the “White Storm” property at San Diego International Comic-Con. I’d corrected some grammar and awkward contractions, which didn’t seem “so much.” But size is relative, right?
“Yes,” I answered, “that was fun.”
“We’d like you to write the whole screenplay.” Screenplay. As in full-length, science fiction motion picture.
My brain blanked out. I knew nothing about the art and science of script writing. I was a babe-in-the-woods. So naturally, I asked, “What’s the deadline and how much is written so far?”
“Nothing is written, but we have about 30 versions of the story idea—a lot is in my head. The first draft has to be ready in two months.”
That’s when I saw her. She appeared as Nisaba, Sumerian goddess of palace scribes. She glowed, all muted gold, like a statue unearthed from a tomb. She leaned over, brushed my hair back, and kissed me on the brow. I stared deeply into her eyes, and insanity became me.
“I’ll do it. When do we meet?”
A few weeks later, I had a seven-hour marathon meeting under my belt, a stack of library books and movies to serve as training wheels, some spanking new script writing software, and a blank computer screen with only the words, “White Storm.” Just last weekend (three months from the start), I turned in a 120-page first draft of which I am inordinately proud. Don’t be fooled by electronic versioning and back-ups; I wrote it in blood.
I know the story will change. I may be just one of a string of writers, but I’ve accomplished something that I never dared dream.
I put flesh on the bones of a cast of characters who have the potential to live on the silver screen (is it still silver?). For now, they live inside my head and pester me relentlessly about all the things they’ll do differently in the second draft. Less humor. More cinematic moments of heroic greatness. I have no choice but to comply as their faces morph from well-known actor to imaginary newcomer.
Nisaba peeks in on me now and then when I’m feverishly typing. I long for her to come cool my brow, but no, she just laughs and disappears again.
I don’t know where she goes. Perhaps you’ve seen her?
First published on A Word with You Press as “Of Cavemen and Kismet”
White Storm the Movie production blog
White Storm the Movie Facebook page
It is so wonderful to feel you joy and excitement and I am thrilled for you. What a fantastic way to know that Fate smiles on you. I will look for White Storm and watch it, knowing that your hand and your creative talent is in the story that unfolds. I love science fiction and creative writing and it is so cool to know a screenwriter making her debut and I will be waiting to see what other films you may have adapted to be brought to life before our eyes. I have ruminated at length about the random misfortunes, big and small and, knowing that it doesn’t balance out because it should, a bit of good fortune that might come my way would be welcome and help me meet the challenges and a few obstacles that I stove to rise to and to overcome. But providence is off smiling at someone else. I don’t believe I can woo her, so how do I will her to come and barrage me with her power to make me appreciate the life I have and, no, I don’t believe in curses, but if I did, a curse would explain some things that are not welcome and dealing with strife has been done to death. I am capable and no further practice is needed. Bounty and good fortune can teach me also. I am ready to graciously and without pretense I don’t deserve it,open my arms to unexpected blessing and the favor of the fortunate. I hope neediness doesn’t repel Serendipity because faking nonchalance is hard. I just decided that, in honor of turning 50 in a few days, I am embracing 50 and I am doing it right. It’s in my hands and I can do anything I set my mind to including losing the mindset of attracting unfavorable things as if I am a magnet and they are steel. It’s random, but it begins to feel personal and why be so generous with me in doling out the trials and so stingy with the good stuff I know I deserve? Fortunately, I have a birthday wish to use and I know how to bring it to shower me with blessings and abundance. Thank goodness birthday wishes are magical! And hurray for you. It’s so lovely to experience things that are within the realm of the romance and glamour of the movie business. You are a part of it and it remains a source of wonder and transport to places and events beyond imagination and to go and experience them is to get away from my hum drum life. I need some excitement. I wish I could remember what I find exciting. Getting home and taking off my shoes, I can do better. You are inspiring and I am putting out a vibe and she will come. Well done, Diana.
Your web site, or blog page or whatever the internet language is for where I am writing, is at the top of the list for interest and writing.
Blessings, pd
Thank you so much, Peggy! You will recognize many of the stories from A Word with You Press, but I do add something new here once in a while.