Lining up Story Possibilities
Yesterday I went raspberry picking on a picturesque farm on a day when the sun was shining brightly and autumn breezes were warning that harsh weather is eminent. A month ago, ripe berries clustered on most branches and a gallon of them dropped into my bucket almost effortlessly.
Picking in mid-October requires more effort and a different kind of reward: the chance to study each individual berry hidden under low-hanging branches. Ripe? Not quite? Overripe?
When I was young, story possibilities came in clusters and I wasn’t discerning. I took them all. Now I pick and choose, evaluating each idea for what it offers a story and whether I’m the right person to tell it.
My current list: a 14-year-old survivor of three stem cell transplants, the challenges scooters pose to transportation planners and legislators (a fad? a new trend in Eco-mobility?), a young and ambitious entrepreneur hoping to help with the student debt crisis, and a marvelous system of pathways for hikers and bikers. And that’s just for starters. I wish you good picking, whether you search for stories or something else!
