I love the concept of 'Blood On The Page.' The phrase has been coined and used by a number of writing instructors and professionals and it refers to the intensity, risk, power, passion and loss conveyed through a writer and how he or she puts his or her characters in jeopardy. Jeopardy. I'm at a complete loss now for how and why people could possibly be at a loss for inspiration to write in times like these.
In just the last few months, Moammar Gadhafi was ousted from power and assassinated in a filthy gutter and laid to rest in a walk in freezer, protesters are marching on New York, Europe, and across the United States. Greece is near financial collapse and Thailand suffers from the greatest floods in nearly half a century.
Blood on the Page? Not even close, there is Blood on the Streets, here, there and everywhere. If you can't look at what's happening right under your nose and see risk, drama, pain, suffering, jeopardy all around you; you might not be looking hard enough.
I was watching Steve Jobs' biographer on 60 Minutes and he was talking about the fact that Jobs may have been wavering (or growing, depending on your point of view), regarding his belief in God and an afterlife. Talk about beating the odds, here's a guy who was adopted, did drugs, built a company, lost it, came back when it was on the brink of disaster and took to a place that no other company has ever gone before. Did I mention the fact that a guy who was given up at birth went on to amass a fortune of over seven billion dollars and changed the lives of hundreds of millions of people in the process? Listen, if that incredible, painful, powerful, successful, hopeful life didn't prove the existence of God, nothing will.
At any rate, the thought of where the greatest CEO in the history of the world is now made me think, I mean, really think. Where is Steve Jobs? Where is that brilliance? Where is his soul? Where did it go and is it gone forever? Immediately I began writing a story about my take on Steve Jobs; not his life, but his death. You want Blood on the Page? Doesn't get any bloodier than cancer.
You want inspiration as a writer? Put a photo of a dead Moammar Gadhafi next to photo of a smiling Steve Jobs standing on stage in front of a thousand fans while he introduces you to the new iPad. While you're looking at the contrasting faces, hum to yourself, 'One of these things is not like the other...' When you're done humming, ask yourself, what the fuck is going on? Short answer, There's Blood in the Streets. Next move, Put It On The PAGE.
And no, I am not comparing Gadhafi to Jobs. All the photos are the property of their respective owners and yes, that is the great writer / director Vic Wright standing next to me.
Thanks for reading.
D
