Talent is a funny thing. I know I’ve talked about this before but my fascination hasn’t subsided.

I don’t have a lot of ideas. I’m not what you would call “an idea man.” That doesn’t make me an idiot. I have a more than respectable job and a fancy title and a lot of responsibilities—far ranging responsibilities. I’ve come to the conclusion that the farther one moves up the corporate ladder the less specific their responsibilities become. And while I’m supposed to be running a lot of different things, what it really boils down to is that I am Winston Wolf.

"I'm Winston Wolf. I solve problems."

I’m the cleaner. I’m the guy they call when something goes horribly wrong. That’s fine by me because the long and short of it is that while I’m very proactive in my “regular duties”, I’m just not capable of churning out earth shattering ideas day after day.

The same thing goes for writing. I’ve churned out a lot of short stories in my day but it’s been a struggle. Either someone gives me an idea and I run with it or I steal an idea and change it and build around that. I’d like to write a novel but I have absolutely no idea for a storyline. But the funny thing is, if someone says, “Write this…” I can pump it out in just a few minutes.

I’ll get a call from someone saying they need some dialog for a scene, they’ll send it over and mission accomplished in an hour. But without that call I’ve got nothing. I’ve had some great writers tell to create a character, or set of characters and put them in a situation. Visualize it and write their way out a chapter at a time. Sorry. I’ve tried.

I’ve storyboarded several novels and literally halfway through the manuscript the plot collapses in on itself because it can’t support it’s own weight. I’m talking about thousands and thousands of words. Gone. The funny thing is that even if I’m watching a movie the plot is secondary to me. The dialog and the screenplay itself, the actual words capture me. I’m too focused on the actual words. I’m obcessed with natural dialog, interesting lines. Stilted dialog makes my head explode. I can control pacing, theme, all the elements required to write a book if only someone would tell me what the hell to write about. A germ of an idea that hasn’t already been done ad nauseum.

My first blog had a lot of stories on it, simply because they actually happened. I didn’t have to create them. I’m one of those people that find themselves in situations, often comical, that can be expanded on. Actually, most people probably find themselves in situations that are funny, anecdotal or what have you but they don’t possess the ability to see it from outside themselves. The hard part is to take that small idea and build it into a much bigger idea. With subplots.

Sometimes I find myself in situations and I will purposefully say or do things in order to get a reaction, simply because I need the material. I need to see people in compromising or uncomfortable situations because I have a curiosity about how they’ll react. The more bizarre the better. I used to go around telling people that one of my toes turned black just to see their reactions. Strangers in the grocery line, people like that. Fuck, I don’t even know if a toe can turn black. I got some funny posts out of it, but that’s it.

On a somewhat related note, my kid has a friend. This kid, who happens to be six, can draw better than me. Can draw better than anyone I’ve ever personally met. I’m not talking about “draw this matchbook cover and maybe you have talent.” I’m talking about a little kid who has not only the ability to replicate the most complex drawings without effort, but who has a brilliant, natural sense of perspective, scale and an incredible eye for detail. And most importantly a style. I’m no stranger to art and I know a lot of people who went to art school and I thought they were brilliant, but they are nothing compared to this six year old kid.

She’s got “it.”

I’ve got something. I don’t know what it is, but I know what it’s not. It’s not “it.”

I’ve got “it” in another category. I think.

What about you? Do you have “it” in anything? Do we all have it “it” in something? Does it go unnoticed throughout some people’s lives? Does “it” have to be pointed out to some people?