An Author's Strife

Eliza sat in a coffee shop as she waited for her boyfriend, Nigel, to come. She stirred her coffee as she looked around. The noise of the people talking was almost deafening, and she was wondering if she would even be able to hear anything Nigel wanted to say, and vice versa.

“Hey.” Nigel finally arrived and put his backpack onto the seat next to him. “How was your day?”

She shrugged and brought her cup to her lips. “Nothing happened. I’ve been trying to find anything to inspire me to write. As usual, my mind is completely empty.”

He hummed and nodded while he took out his computer. “Well, I was given a ton of assignments to complete before I can graduate with my doctorate. My mind has been all over the place, and I’m trying to calm down.”

“I guess I’m spoiled that way. It’s still infuriating that I can’t think of anything. Isn’t that the whole point of being an author? I’m supposed to think of anything instantly, which was much easier to do when I was younger.”

“Can’t you use the people around you as ideas? You’d be surprised by what’s happening in these people’s lives.”

She shook her head. “I feel like I’m prying into their lives.”

“I can see how you would feel that way.” Nigel looked around and asked, “How about that couple over there? Why don’t you make up a story about them?”

Eliza turned around and saw a couple standing in front of each other. With all the noise, she couldn’t hear a single thing that was being said. What she saw was the girl in baggy jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. She was angry. The man standing in front of her was in a suit, and he looked as if he was defending himself.

“Well, I would start off that story with the man being too busy for her. She seems to be angry that he’s not making enough time for her.”

“I would’ve thought maybe there’s something suspicious about the man. What if he’s keeping a secret away from her?”

Eliza squinted her eyes at him. “Not everything has to do with secrets. People these days are so wrapped up in their jobs and keeping their head above the water that they lose their personal life for the sake of their career.”

“I guess that could be a story idea, but that sounds a bit boring.” Nigel rested his chin on his hand.

“I can make it interesting.”

“How so? You can’t base everything on a simple argument.”

“I can’t make an entire plot surround an argument unless the argument is that important. What I can do is add other details. What if they were high school sweethearts and he promised to dedicate his life to her, and while he was trying to work hard for her, he became more focused on his job than on her.”

“Okay, fine.” He threw his hands up. “That is interesting. But don’t your readers want excitement and shocking plot twists?”

“I want excitement and shocking plot twists that won’t put any of the characters in jeopardy. I get annoyed when I see characters having to give up who they are just for the sake of romance. Why should the girl have to make a fool out of herself for a guy who didn’t trust her enough to reveal a personal fact, or who, full-blown, doesn’t even love her? I would rather respect my characters unless I made them not to be respectable.”

Nigel shook his head. “This is why you have no ideas. You’re so picky.”

“I call it having standards,” Eliza gave him a look. She found Nigel annoying at times, and she was sometimes reminded why she hated him before they started to date each other.

“I sacrifice many things for the sake of my job. I think many people would.”

“Then I think the story that I’m thinking of applies directly to you. Why should a girl feel the need to change herself for a man who isn’t willing to change for her?”

He scoffed, “I changed many things for you.”

“Such as?” She lifted a brow.

“Well, my friends didn’t like you and told me that we would break up after three weeks. It’s been three months now.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, “You know what? Let’s drop this. What would you write for the ending? The man and the woman get into a serious argument, and their relationship is on the line. What would you write?”

Nigel gestured with his hand at them. “I would write that the woman forgives him, and she realizes all that he’s trying to do for her.”

Eliza said, “I would write that they end up taking a break, and the man comes to the realization that he had chosen his work over the woman he loved most.”

He laughed and shook his head. “That sounds so cheesy.”

“It’s a serious subject that happens every day, does it not?” She sighed angrily. Nigel rarely ever saw eye-to-eye with her, and he never made the effort to. Maybe she was giving the male lead the benefit of the doubt in this story.

“You see, Eliza, people don’t want to hear stories of real life. They want to hear stories of people who come to a happy ending, no matter how ridiculous it may seem.”

“And yet my story is the cheesy one?”

“Yes. Yes, it is,” he laughed.

She shook her head. “You’re impossible to be around sometimes. You always make things difficult. Why aren’t my stories ever good enough? Because of you, I haven’t been able to think of anything these past three months, and my publisher is getting angry.”

“Oh, so you’re blaming me now? I spent this whole time talking about your problem while I have a lot of work to finish by next week. My professors won’t be happy either, and I’ll end up having to graduate next year.” He leaned back in his seat. “Not everything is about you, Eliza. I was only trying to help.”

“Maybe I don’t need your help.” She folded her arms and leaned back in her seat.

They refused to speak anymore, and their eyes were fixated on everything but each other. It was awkward, and they wanted to leave. The couple they were talking about finally came around. They sat down in the empty seats next to them. Eliza and Nigel listened to what they were saying.

The woman complained, “Now, Mom is going to yell at me all because you broke her dish. This is what happens when you’re not careful.”

The man defended himself, “Look, Mom was out shopping and didn’t notice until now. When we go home, I’ll explain everything to her.”

“Do you promise?” She asked strictly.

“I promise.” He nodded.

Nothing was more embarrassing for Eliza than to fight with her boyfriend about a couple that turned out to be siblings. She decided that she needed to reevaluate her relationship with Nigel.