New Avenues
You need to have a story which you can sell to anyone and it should be good enough for them to buy it, Advertising industry as we all know is built on this principal, show them a perspective that they would have never imagined and your story will sell.
This journey of ours have brought us to Los Angeles, the city of Angels as they say.

People of great talents walk here, from writters to famous Hollywood stars, this place just lives and breathes of successful people, I remember starting my journey right here on this land of the dreams.
Born and raised in Malibu was like a dream for many people, well I have lived that dream, my name is David Carlton and I am currently working with few of the top production houses in the country and making them even more wealthier everyday.
I write stories but not for the usual drama shows you find running on TV all the time I write for the classic ones which have a deep impact, the ones which sticks with you, alters your views on things and it changes you in someway, I am that type of writter.
In the beginning of 80s the television industry was growing, people had started watching shows, commercials, the networks were spending enormous amount of money on daily shows and there were many who used come from all over the country to wander the streets of LA in search of fame, recognition, it was an era of pop, jazz, blues and synthesizers.
Somewhere in Michigan lived a young guy whose dream was to meet David Carlton one day, his name was Jack Spencer, he was very talented this kid, he had started writing stories when he was just a boy and people liked it, every once in a while, they used to have plays setup in the Michigan community hall which were written by Spencer, he had similar interests like David.
Spencer one day decided to leave Michigan and go to LA to chase his dreams, he had saved some money, it was early morning on a Saturday, he just woke up, packed his backpack and left.
He reached LA the next day, it takes more than one day to reach there by bus from Michigan, he had never been there before but had read quite a bit about that place so he just got down from the bus and started walking around the city carrying his backpack, soon he reached near a motel and decided to stay there for a few days, he loves writting and he had almost drafted a script for his next story while he was on the bus.
One evening he went to the Venice Beach with his diary and a pen and he just sat there watching the sunset wrote few more things what he felt should be included in his story and then he just stopped, closed his eyes, sea breeze, sound of waves hitting the shore was drifting him away in the silence, the calmness surrounded him, there was a girl at the beach who was watching him as he closed his eyes, after a while she got up and sat next to him.
Spencer opened his eyes and saw her, she was beautiful, she had dark hair which were tied perfectly, beautiful blue eyes with a pair of glasses on them, a white top, some rugged blue jeans and a tattoo on her left arm, she was looking at Spencer and said, “You are enjoying all this by yourself, let me join you, I am Sarah Jones by the way.” Spencer smiled and said, “Nice to meet you Sarah I am Jack Spencer.” She asked him few more questions and then they decided to have some food.
Sarah was a writer herself she loved writting romantic novels, plays and pretty much everything that involved a boy and a girl falling hopelessly in love and then living happily ever after, it was a very different type of writting as compared to Spencer but he liked her anyway, she seemed like a good person maybe thats why he liked her and not to forget she was really beautiful.
They went to a eating joint which was near to the beach and had some corn dogs, Spencer told her everything about his work, he was writing a story about a guy who lives in LA, works in movies and has a strong opinion on things, this guy doesn’t take no for an answer and is selfish in every way possible and he somehow always gets everything he wants in the end, Sarah might have liked his story or maybe not, but anyways he was still invited to a meet with her friends the next day.
Spencer got back to his motel, it was a cold night, he turned on the heater and sat on the table, there was silence and tranquility in that place and it helped him channel his thoughts and stories which he had in his mind somewhere, he was thinking about the ending of the story which he was writting currently, he had written one ending but he was not happy with it, it was not upto the standard what David might have written.
The next day arrived and Spencer had promised to meet Sarah and her friends, he took his diary, a pen, some cash and left the motel, they decided to go to an art convention that was happening at Beverly Hills, it was a 30 minutes drive from LA, he met them at the bus stop and then they all started their journey towards Beverly Hills.
Sarah had worn an amazing red dress, she was looking even more beautiful that day, she had brought her friends Kevin and Marsha, they were both living in LA, Marsha was an artist and she sold her paintings back then, Kevin liked Marsha and he was an artist just like her.
They introduced each other and showed us some sketches which they had brought along with them, the art was really good, each sketch was drawn with all the minute details and anyone would have payed a handsome amount for them, they both wanted to open their own art gallery and display all their creations to everyone, Sarah first met them at an art conventions just like this one and they became good friends.
The next stop was Beverly hills, the bus arrived and they headed towards the location, the place was beautiful, many of the famous artists were present there and had their artwork displayed, Kevin and Marsha also had a spot booked and we helped them setup all the work they had brought with them, soon people started coming to our spot and a lady even bought one of the paintings, it was an abstract painting that depicted feelings with some of the eye catching colours, it was Marsha’s work and they all were very proud of her, meanwhile Spencer was still thinking on what his story’s ending was going to be.
It was almost the closing time of the convention and Kevin and Marsha managed to sell almost all of their paintings, they were very happy and felt encouraged, they all went to one of the nicest restaurant in Beverly hills and celebrated their achievement, Spencer opened his diary and started writting few more lines which he was thinking about, dinner arrived just in time, it was just for a split second when Spencer looked towards the adjacent table and there he was the guy whom Spencer wanted to meet so desperately it was David Carlton having his dinner, he also had a similar diary and a pen on his table which filled Spencer with curiosity and anticipation that he never felt in his entire life.
The moment of truth, Spencer wanted to meet him, show him his story and maybe gets some really interesting suggestions from the legend himself, Spencer got up and stood next to him, David watched him as he gave his diary and asked him about his opinion, David always encouraged talent and so he asked Spencer to join him, it was a perfect moment, David took his diary and started reading his newest story.
It starts in LA, its the late 70s, its about a guy name Jacob Callahan an actor in Hollywood, he is known for his stubbornness and his wit, he manages to land a role in one of the best movie that has been produced so far, living a dream life, meets the love of his life and wins it all, marries her, a son and a daughter, he has his own businesses of selling coats and suits and he is making enough profit to keep his family happy until one day a girl named Debbie walks into his shop and makes Callahan falls for her, they share some passionate moments together and remain discreet, she invites him when her husband goes out of town and they spend the night there, its a pure form of love one can feel, no strings attached, no regrets, just passion, he is the modern American who breaks the schakles of monogamy and wants to live in his own way.
David reaches to the part where Spencer was stuck, David smiles and invites him the next day to his house in Malibu, at this exact moment Spencer looks towards Sarah and finds that she is already looking at him, its a connection just like his character Callahan has in his story, she reminds him of Debbie, he goes back to his table where Sarah, Kevin and Marsha were sitting, tells them the news and they get one more reason to celebrate, they soon leave the place, get into a cab and starts heading towards LA, its a feeling Spencer never felt before, he keeps looking at Sarah and she also shares the same looks, Kevin gives Marsha a kiss as they both step out of the cab, Spencer and Sarah drops them off, its almost midnight and they find themselves sitting in the cab looking at each other, Spencer comes near Sarah and gives her a kiss, she kisses him back and they share a moment in the backseat of the cab, he insists on going back to her place but she refuses and whispers, “You need to wait for the right time.”
Spencer heads towards the motel and looks at her house one last time in the rear view mirror as his cab takes a turn, she reminds him too much of Debbie, a girl that will make you chase her, a girl who likes to be in control, who doesn’t needs a man to define her, he just realises how he underestimated her, she is not some girl who writes romantic novels, she is so much more.
The motel comes into the view, he pays the cabbie and goes to his room only to realizes that he need Sarah to finish his story else there won’t be a proper ending to it, he drops everything and lays down on the floor staring at the roof for sometime and then falls asleep.
Spencer gets up early in the morning the next day, gets freshen up, eats his breakfast, takes his diary and just before leaving he realizes that he could call up Sarah and ask her to join him, so he gives her a call and to his surprise finds that she is already up early waiting for his call, they meet and head towards Malibu.
David owns a extravagant beach house in Malibu, he has his own way of living in this world, something many people have yet to figure out, Spencer’s excitement reaches its peak when they see the entrance of his house, a big wooden door with a rustic feel and a name plate on the adjacent wall that reads “The Carlton Residence”, Spencer knocks on the door twice and waits, after a while they hear footsteps approaching towards them and David opens the door, he invites them inside.
The interior of his home has a rustic feeling to it as well, some jazz posters on the wall, a fireplace, a couch in the living room, old lighting fixtures and a bookshelf consisting of many handwritten books, these were the diaries which David maintained since the beginning, it was a Paradise for Spencer and he wanted to read each and every one of it, the house had a deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Sarah walked right towards it, David had just woken up and he was holding a glass of a scotch as he opened the door, he welcomed them and went to his room apparently to freshen up.
Spencer and Sarah were standing on the deck, the view was mesmerizing, the early morning sun, sand and the sound of the ocean, everything was perfect, there were few people taking walks on the beach, Sarah came close and held Spencer, they shared a kiss as they watched the Ocean, it was a dream come true for Spencer, he wanted to live in that moment forever.
David came back after a while still holding his glass of scotch but in a suit this time and they all went to the living room, he finished that glass and then started the conversation, David liked his story as it was having all the aspects which he wanted in a story.
The story of Jacob Callahan and Debbie was perfect, a man and his women, the connection, the chemistry, everything brought together by fate, only thing missing was a perfect ending, Jacob starts spending more time with Debbie, they meet thrice a week at the exact time at a Diner and then go out exploring places, Jacob maintains discretion but eventually his wife finds out, she finds a piece of Debbie’s earing in one of his coat and the balance in Jacob’s life is disturbed.
He tries to convince her but she never listens, finally they start living separately, Jacob keeps meeting Debbie at their usual spot and their love life continues meanwhile he lands another role in one of the much anticipated blockbuster of that year and becomes very wealthy, he gets a place in Beverly hills and they start living together.
Spencer was stuck in this part of the story where the ending seems rather usual he then asks David for suggestion, he quickly gets up goes to his bookshelf and picks an old diary and hands it to Spencer, this diary was the first one written by David and it had few amazing stories, Spencer glances through the pages and reads some of them, each one of it was perfectly written and had amazing endings, David gives the diary to Spencer and asks him to return it once he finishes his story and asks him to come back to Malibu with it.
Spencer and Sarah leaves his place inspired and challenged, he starts reading David’s diary the moment he gets in the cab, they head towards LA back to his motel, Spencer’s imagination runs wild, the stories in David’s​ books are nothing less than a masterpiece even the first one was so perfect, It was about a person who has witnessed domestic abuse since his childhood, money troubles, father’s gambling problem, he has witnessed all of it, one day he gets up and leaves that place to become a well known Police officer and spends his life arresting people who commit such crimes, childhood has a lot of impact on one’s future and David managed to depict it correctly in the story, towards the end the Police officer’s son is born and he makes sure he has a good upbringing but one day he gets caught up in a similar situation with a girl and that is the day when he puts his own son behind bars, an emotion that only a father can feel, standing up his entire life to a crime that has polluted the society so deeply and fast forward to today, the day he finds out his son has done the same, he is lost and finally when his son gets out of prison he punishes him to a point he never dares to do it again, he recruits him in his Police team and they both continue to solve crimes together, one day while solving a case his father gets shot by a group of Mobsters, the son holds him in his arms and watches him die, that moment changes him and he makes his mission to put such people behind bars to honour his father.
Spencer gets so involved in reading David’s diary that he forgets that he is already at his motel and Sarah is with him, she enjoys watching Spencer read and keeps waiting for him to say something, Spencer gets his diary and opens the page where he was stuck.
The story has now reached to a part where Jacob is living with Debbie in Beverly hills and he has gathered enormous amount of wealth, Spencer picks up his pen and starts writting and continues till he is satisfied and finally manages to finish the story, he then gives it to Sarah to read and have her first view on it.
Jacob is never satisfied in his life and even though he is with Debbie he finds that they don’t agree on things anymore, she is not good with his kids and she spends a lot of his money meanwhile he gets offered another movie role in Hollywood, the story is loosely based on real life events and its about a criminal organization who operated underground businesses and killed lots of people, Jacob’s partner is a girl named Jessica who is his onscreen girlfriend, she is the most beautiful girl Jacob has ever seen, young, passionate and their onscreen chemistry is why the movie is an instant hit, the story also involves dealing with a lot of low life people and Jacob is the person who has been directly appointed by the boss himself, his most trustworthy associate, Jessica his partner in crime is with him all the time, soon they start meeting after the shoot is over for the day and soon Debbie gets replaced with Jessica and after that some another girl.
Jacob’s life becomes a mess and he decides to leave movie business all together, he goes back to his place in Beverly hills and just lies on the bed remembering the things he did, he then remembers the faces of his children whom he has not seen since a long time and realises the importance of a family and at that moment he hears a door bell, he gets up walks towards the door and opens it, it is his daughter standing in front of him, she manages to track him down and wants him in her life, she is married now has a son of her own and they live in a place nearby, Jacob goes with her to meets her family and at that point a tear rolls from his eye, knowing he was not there for many of the important events in their life and he regrets it, life is a long journey and you need your family along the way, you cannot be on your own forever..
Later he finds out that his son is also married and lives with his family, his wife is still living in LA and they all track her down, Jacob is reunited with his family, after a while they all forgive him.
Sarah closes the book and gives Jack a kiss on his cheek, she loves the story and they decide show it to to David, its already raining in LA and they get in a cab and head towards Malibu, heavy rains splashes on the windshield as the wiper barely tries to keep up, they eventually reach his place, heads towards the entrance and knocks on the door, just at that time Jack realises a stupid mistake he has made, he forgot his own diary in the cab and brought David’s diary with him, he runs towards the street where they left the cab but its already gone, anger and frustration hits him and he returns to the entrance of David’s house where Sarah is standing, Sarah laughs and hands him his diary from under her jacket, he just falls for her completely at that exact moment.
David opens the door and they all sit in the living room, Jack looks towards the deck and sees the heavy rains outside, rough weather, David gets them a cup of coffee and they all sit there silently for a while.
Jack hands his diary to David and he starts reading it, he reads it completely and gives a smile as he turns the final page, he likes the ending, something he never dared to write has been written by Jack.
David misses his family sometimes but he doesn’t think of it anymore, he is at a place where he cannot go back, Jack tries to convince him but in vain, they all have dinner together and Jack shares his journey in LA, Sarah also joins them, they toast to Jack’s story and their familes.
Jack and Sarah spends the night there with David chatting, sharing stories until they finally fall asleep, the rain is gone and the sun is up, they decide to say goodbye to David and head home, Jack gets up and heads towards the door but to his surprise he sees a set of keys with his and Sarah’s name on it.
Jack asks David about the key and finds out they are the keys to David’s house and he had just invited them to live with him, a family, Jack and Sarah happily accept the offer and they all start living together, a different kind of family.
David and Spencer together publish a novel which becomes an instant hit and they continue their journey of writting stories, Sarah and Jack gets married after a while and they all still live with David, they even get a bigger beach house in Malibu after Jack’s son is born.
Stories or shall I say Life is meaningful only when it is shared with the people you care, just like someone has said “If you want to go fast, go alone but If you want to go far go together”, is very true, you always need someone whom you can share your story with, else who is there to listen, right?
