Last night, I was watching a programme called The Jury. A real case is recreated, and a jury of local people is brought in to consider it. The experiment is to see whether they reach the same verdict as the original jurors.
As I watched them discussing the case, it occurred to me how much I’d hate to be on a jury. I don’t enjoy being around opinionated people, especially when they’re loud and arguing with one another. Although, of course, discussing their different views is part of the process.
I’d be the one sitting in the corner, wishing I could read a book!
Still, the experience could give me material for a story. In fact, I thought of Jeffrey Archer who drew on his time in prison for his writing. That’s what we writers do, isn’t it? Find inspiration in our experiences.
The thought had barely left my head when my phone pinged with a BBC News alert. Jeffrey Archer had died. I couldn’t believe it and thought I must have misread it. I hadn’t thought about him for years, yet moments before the news arrived, he’d popped into my mind.
How uncanny is that?
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That really is so uncanny, Karen! It’s eerie how the universe works sometimes—thinking of an author you haven’t considered in years only for a breaking news alert to pop up minutes later is wild. I loved your perspective on how writers find story fodder everywhere, even in scenarios we’d rather avoid! I completely agreed with Darlene too; being stuck in a room full of loud, arguing people while holding someone’s fate in your hands sounds exhausting. Thanks for sharing such a fun coincidence!
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I would never want to be part of a jury. The idea of deciding someone else’s fate is disturbing to me.
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