Every once in a while, I walk by someone. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye.
My skin crawls. I don’t know why. I don’t even know him. I just want to get away from him as soon as possible.
Other times, I look into a stranger’s eyes and find myself smiling. She smiles back. We’re instantly at ease with each other. I don’t know why.
Some of my favorite moments on television remind me of these moments. I remember a scene in the very first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy approached a shy, initially reluctant Willow. Something sweet and almost magical bloomed between the two girls as they talked.
This might be called a connection. It can be so much more than this.
Conflict drives a plot forward, providing fuel for my stories and character interaction. What surprises me are the moments of spontaneous sweetness which can appear within my conflict.
Connections, when they blossom between my characters feel almost magical. They develop within the energy of the conflict, almost in natural, organic process which flowers from me.
This comes from nothing more than a feeling, an impression of a character, mingling with the conflict. I end up with a story brewing that leaves me wondering what’s going to happen next, even when I know where the plot is heading.
Does this ever happen to you, dear reader? Have you or your characters ever been overwhelmed by a feeling or impression you got from someone else? Did you try to channel that feeling into a story, a work of art, or some other form?