Diane Thomas was working late one night at the Coral Beach Cantina on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Even though Thomas had a degree in business from UCLA and a background as a copywriter, she was now working as a waitress.
Tonight, she was just about to close up.
And that’s when he walked in.
Handsome.
Confident.
Famous.
Michael Douglas.
Douglas was already a big deal in Hollywood at this point, both as an actor (The China Syndrome, Coma) and as a producer (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest).
So Thomas rolled up her apron and took her shot.
You see, just like everybody else in Hollywood, Thomas had written a movie script.
So she approached Douglas and she pitched him on it.
Long story short, Douglas bought the screenplay off her…
Produced the resulting movie…
End even starred in it.
I just watched it. It’s called “Romancing the Stone,” and it not only made Douglas an even bigger star in Hollywood, but it also transformed Thomas’s life (and even led to her death, but more on that another time).
But here’s the thing.
The above story — specifically, the late-night restaurant meetup — is most likely made up.
Yes, there is a legend that says that’s exactly how it happened.
But the truth seems to be that, in spite of being a waitress, Thomas actually had an agent, who shopped her script around town for just one week, before Douglas snatched it up .
In spite of this impressive true story, the accidental cafe meetup seems to sell better.
Now, I recently wrote how “the accidental discovery” is a powerful story motif, which seems to be stronger than whatever truth it was based on.
The “chance meeting” motif, like in the story of Diane Thomas, seems to be something similar.
It’s something to keep in mind when you’re writing to persuade an audience.
Or when you are thinking of how to present the history of your product or service.
Anyhow, on an unrelated note, I am still romancing my book on email marketing for the health space.
If you want to get a free copy when it’s out, you just have to sign up (no casting this time). Here’s the link: