Useless Information – A Hidden Treasure for Writers
I am a geek through and through. My head is filled with tidbits that no person should know. I remember odd, useless bits of information from television shows, movies, and conversations, well from just about anywhere and everywhere. Like what you ask? I will give you four examples.
1.I know that Q is not just the 17th letter in the alphabet. Q is also a character that believed he was omniscient. He chose to visit the crew from the Enterprise from time to time on STNG or Star Trek Next Generation. Q and Jean Luc Picard engaged in numerous debates on humanity and our inability to separate emotion from reason.
2. I remember what song was played in the season two finale of Buffy The Vampire Slayer as she sat on a bus staring out the window, which drove away from Sunnydale. This particular show aired May 19th, 1998.
3. I know that Lucy Lawless who currently plays Lucretia on Spartacus, but will forever be known as Xena Warrior Princess, is married to Rob Tapert (producer of Xena), and he is part of the exclusive Rami clique. You know Sam Rami- the director of Evil Dead, Spiderman, and Darkman.
4. I can recite all the words to Motley Crue’s Home Sweet Home, a gift I have held since I was a teen.
I think I’ll stop there before I have you all running for the hills. The point to all of this rambling is simple. The depths of your mind holds the key. When you find yourself stuck for something to write, tap into this endless pit and use it to your advantage. Open up your treasure chest of useless information. Why not start now and share what you know with the world? Yes, this action runs the risk of banishment to the seventh level of the Geekdom or it may open the doors to your next great short story.
Giselle Maclean is Managing Editor of BreakFree, a blog that passionately charts her personal challenges as a wife, mother and friend; while managing a career within the financial services industry.
Interesting point, Giselle.
Like you, I am constantly amazed at all the useless knowledge my mind contains. Since it is unlikely to ever win me any money on Jeopardy!, and I’m never fast enough to win radio trivia call-in contests, perhaps it could be a good source of material for a project in the future… or a blog post or fifty.
I agree with you. Jeopardy would be cool. You never know. I may turn on my television one day to find out you are the next big winner on the show. How do you feel about sharing your winnings?
I can so relate to this. While I’m not knowledgable of entertainment trivia, I am a geek who reads mostly nonfiction and history (Readers Make the Best Writers at http://www.EveryDayPR.net). Don’t you find it a little awkward when you correct someone in a social setting because you just know that you’re right?! I love this in-depth knowledge and refer to myself as a “warehouse of useless knowledge”. Excellent post!
Thank you for your comments Susan. I love this:
“Don’t you find it a little awkward when you correct someone in a social setting because you just know that you’re right?!”
It can be very awkward, especially on that rare occasion when you provide the wrong information! I believe that your “warehouse of useless knowledge” is an resource for ideas for your next great project.
Giselle
Well I’ve got to correct you on a few things. Its Xena, not ‘Zena’, and Lucy Lawless plays Lucretia on Spartacus, not ‘Gladiator’. :)
Hello Angela,
A huge thank you for catching my error. The worst part is..I own every season of Xena on DVD. You would think I would know how to spell Xena! I appreciate that you gave me the heads up!
Giselle