Helped a guy at a bus stop figure out his fantasy novel plot

I was waiting for the 72 bus in Portland last Tuesday and this older guy was scribbling in a notebook. He looked frustrated so I asked if he was writing something. Turns out he had this cool idea about a world where people can trade memories but he couldn't figure out how to end the story. I suggested he make the main character lose their most important memory as a sacrifice and he lit up like I'd given him gold. Have you ever had a random stranger help you break through a block like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.leo2h ago

Did you feel like a genius after that? I had something similar happen at a coffee shop once where this girl was trying to name a character and I just blurted out "Silas" and she wrote it down and said it was perfect. Wild how a total stranger can just unlock something in your brain like that.

corah752h ago

Wait, are you sure it was a total stranger though @wright.leo? Because the way you tell it, you were sitting close enough to hear her naming a character, which sounds like you were at least at the next table or something. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but that feels a little different than a random person walking by on the street. Anyway, yes, I absolutely felt like a genius for a few seconds haha. It's just such a good feeling when you offer something up and it clicks perfectly for someone else. Your "Silas" example is spot on, it's got that slightly old fashioned but cool vibe that a lot of writers go for. I bet that girl still thinks about you every time she types that name into her manuscript.