Draw From A Memory

I just got back from taking my twelve year old daughter to a Twilight Convention.

"Ugh!" some of you say.

"How nice of you," others may say.

Let me tell you how it went.

After getting tickets (yes, tickets needed to be purchased), we walked into a room full of Twilight merch vendors. My daughter and two of her friends made out like bandits. Three shirts, some buttons, pictures, a hoodie, and a purse later and we were ready to go. We entered the ballroom to finish a screening of Twilight the movie. Then, Michael Welch came on stage. (Michael Welch plays Mike Newton in the movie).

It was a simple Q&A. At one point, he bounded from the stage to give an impromptu hug to a girl. Another time he ran out to ask a girl a question. At this point, my daughter touched, yes TOUCHED his shirt. I thought she would faint. She and her friends were all a dither. (My southern roots are showing with that one!)

After that, we had a quick bite to eat at one of the many over-priced eating establishments in the hotel and got back in time to pay for another ticket to get a photo op with, guess who? Michael Welch. Well, the girls were flabbergasted and swooning, so we just HAD to go. When we arrived there were four people ahead of us, I think. Michael entered. The girls whispered, bounced up and down, and squealed with delight.

First up: Brianna. She was so nervous she was pale, as if she was about to throw up. She probably was! Michael looked at her and asked her if she was okay.

"Yeah. I love you," she squeaked.

He grinned and CLICK! The picture was made. Move along, Brianna.

My daughter creeps up to the platform. Michael turns and says hey. She throws and I mean THROWS herself ONTO him and latches on with a kung fu jedi deathgrip around his rib cage. She hugs him with her eyes closed, squeezing his breath from him.

"I love you,  I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you," she whispers.

The crowd bursts into a unified, "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww."

Michael grins and hugs her back, almost just as tight. She opens her eyes. He smiles at her. They smile at the camera. CLICK! The photo op is over. Move along.

Samantha takes the platform. Perhaps a bit repulsed by Brianna and my daughter's polar opposite performances, she quietly takes her place next to Michael and flashes a beautiful smile for the camera. CLICK! And she's done.

The girls, for the next two hours, giggle and squeal about the ordeal. My daughter threatens to "laminate" her shirt so she could keep Michael's cologne. They were absolutely giddy. And happy.

So, why am I sharing this?

It was interesting to watch. I have a great memory now to go by should I write a screenplay that needs to capture the excitement of a trio of tweens. I have a great memory to go by should I write a screenplay that needs warm fuzzies of a parental heart. I had plenty of warm fuzzies for my daughter today. It was wonderful to see her smile, laugh, and carry excitement in her eyes.

To get an audience to believe what you've written, you have to capture a moment. Capture the feeling. The excitement.

I'm grateful for today. Did I have better things to do with my time than walk around a hotel filled with people dressed like Volturi wannabes? Sure, I did! But I am so glad I braved the ice (well, okay, my hubby braved the ice for us as a chauffeur) to bring her.

Watching the girls taught me a lot today. And now I get to incorporate it into my writing!

Do you have a warm fuzzy YOU can draw from? Any lifechanging events you can pull from? Of course you do! Take them and find your story! Now, the hard part is, which way will you go with it?