The Kidnapped Screenwriter

Woodcut of my friend Gary (not his real name).

Gary is a successful Hollywood screenwriter with multiple film credits (not his real name). Early in his career, he was hired to write a script for an action movie that called for a crucial kidnapping scene. As part of his research, he read the book Six Days in August that introduced the term “Stockholm Syndrome.” He finished a first draft and submitted it to the studio for review. The feedback was harsh. The main complaint was that “the…