How do you make a scene more sad? A question my daughter asked me today. There’s three ways of going about it. The first is to create a sombre situation. Boring! Next is creating an atmosphere that amplifies what is happening in the scene. Overcast skies, maybe a little rain. Wind blowing mournfully through the trees. More interesting but kind of overused. The third option is what I recommended to her. You contrast what is happening between your characters with what is happening around them. Bright sunny day, kids playing in the background, couples out strolling, with two people oblivious to all this because their hearts are breaking.
Breakfast today was cinnamon bagels, an offering delivered to us yesterday by my brother. Dinner was fish and chips.
I took a big step today against the capitalist system. My phone contract ran out, but I didn’t upgrade to a new phone. I’ve got an S8, which is still plenty good for what I use it for. It was hard resisting the urge, but I did it anyway. Start placing your bets on how long that’s going to last.
NOOR A JAHANGIR 