"Could you argue a little slower? I'm writing this down."

My wife always claims that she’s just a “character” in any story or blogpost in which I include her. She insists it’s not the real her but one heightened for comedic or dramatic effect. And that’s probably true. She’s a therapist so she likes to keep a low profile (hence no photo for this post) so she doesn’t mind that she’s referred to infrequently.

She does have one beef and I must admit it’s a valid one. There have been times in arguments when I’ve thought: “Ooooh, this would be a great scene.” I bet the wives of every writer have this pet peeve.

But if you want to write from real life and personal experiences, arguments are a great source of conflict, which is a key element of good storytelling.

Two of the very best family sitcoms relied on writers sharing personal moments. THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW and EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND always rang so true because they WERE.

The truth is we don’t always come off so noble, so praiseworthy. We are often petty, foolish, dunderheads. This too is a hallmark of comedy.

We laugh because we recognize this behavior. But it also means we have to be willing to reveal to the world our foibles. “Characters” allow us to do that with a thin veneer of anonymity and safety.

And yet there is that line in real arguments – things said that are not meant for anyone to hear but your opponent. So for most writers they have two things going on – How do I win this damn argument and can I use it? And if they had to choose between the two, most writers I know would opt for the second.

Stories are just too fucking hard to come by.  

from By Ken Levine