TAKE A SEAT

by Deborah Elliott-Upton

In my “Writing & Marketing the Short Story” classes at the local college, I could tell who would be the best writers from the moment they chose a seat.

At first, I thought it was a fluke when the students who would write the most interesting stories chose to sit in the same area where my students had in previous classes. Semester after semester, the same scenario repeated itself and I realized my theory had credence.

Mr/Ms Imagination seated themselves in the same chairs as all the Mr/Ms Imaginations had taken before. They composed delightful, unpredictable and memorable stories. I knew I would soon see their bylines in print.

The writers who argued instead of listened during critique would take the same row and chair as the Complainers had in the former class. These people did not believe their stories needed any rewriting. Obviously, I was not “getting” what they meant. When I recognized this type of student, I rarely spent much of the valuable and limited class discussion time on their work.

Why bother? The sad thing is they truly believed what they had “in their head” about the story had shown up “on the page.” If the Complainers would stop and listen to the questions their classmates asked concerning the story, they would realize much work needed to be done on the manuscript before the story would be publishable.

Clustered to my left side and to the rear of the room would be at least two students who would drop the class when they realized they were expected to write.

The person who never missed a class, yet whose work never improved, would occupy the same space — usually near the front where one would assume those most interested in learning would sit. The Always A Student took spare notes and enjoyed talking about writing more than she did actual writing.

When the phenomena repeated again and again, I expected to hear the theme from “The Twilight Zone.” It soon became my private project to see if the students shared other similar qualities with their chair’s previous tenants.

As a personality trainer, I am conditioned to note the traits of those wandering into my life or me into theirs. Every personality type comes equipped with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. When we work on eliminating our weak traits while fortifying our strengths, we naturally become happier individuals.

As a mystery writer, I take notes on people’s nuances, quirks and motivations for my own character studies. I often use personality charts to help deduce my character’s probable reactions. Knowing their innate weaknesses and strengths guides me along a blueprint of sorts to know how they may respond when trouble comes calling.

My popularity as an instructor rose when I assigned homework watching at least one episode of “Survivor” and the movie, “Die Hard.”

On “Survivor” the plot is the same for everyone: to outlast their competitors and win the cash prize. The story playing out is altered each season not so much from the environment or challenges as much as the players’ personalities and life experiences. In “Die Hard,” Bruce Willis’ character, John McClane, takes charge because that is what a rogue cop who has a personal stake (his wife is among those held at gunpoint by the terrorists) does in that situation.

If, while sitting in my classroom, a group of Uzi-bearing terrorists entered—dressed in full commando-like gear—what would you do? What would I do? What would the person next to you do? Aha! Our actions would depend on our personality, beliefs and skills. Not all of us are the Bruce Willis action-figure type. Who would emerge as the hero of this story? I am not asking who would take on the enemy. I am asking whether you wrote or read this story, whose viewpoint would you most want to hear? If the story were told from Mrs. McClane’s point of view, wouldn’t it be a completely different film?

Studying movies, television programs, short stories and novels for the writer’s choice of characterization techniques is a vital tool to both creating and enjoying good fiction. Plot is important, but it is the characters that make the story come alive.

Bruce Willis’ portrayal of McClane makes “Die Hard” stand out from other action movies. If another actor played the part, would it have been as dynamic? Imagine someone other than Clark Gable as Rhett Butler. What if Captain Butler was played by Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper or Tyrone Powers? Or hey, even Bruce Willis?

Does it make a difference where we choose to sit? Would the ones who excel do so if they sat in the Quitters chairs? Would the Complainers gripe less and learn more if they sat on the opposite side of the room or those whose writing never evolved flourish if only they sat two seats back? Perhaps. But, consider this: What if we can create success wherever we choose as our place when we decide to conquer our doubts and forge through personality flaws we can alter?

Take a seat wherever you are most comfortable, and let’s see where this ride takes us.