Strategy for Reading the Script
Three crucial questions should emerge from the first reading:
1. What is the genre or story form? Each story form has a different
dramatic shape and presentation of character and deployment
of plot.
2. Who is the main character and his or her goal? There should
be a distinct main character with a clear goal.
3. What is the character arc, or, to put it another way, how will the
experience of the story change the main character? You should
be able to identify the state of the character at the beginning of
the story and how the character changes as the story unfolds.
Upon a second reading, another set of questions should be
answered:
1. What is the premise of the story? The premise—sometimes
called the spine, central conflict, or engine—of the story is best
understood as the two opposing choices facing the main character.
Often these two choices concern important relationships
presented in the narrative.
2. Is the premise consistent with the main character and his goal?
It should be. If, for example, the main character in the “The
Verdict” is a successful lawyer, then the premise of restoring
dignity to a dissipated life would not resonate. There must be
a link between the premise and the main character.
3. Does the main character transform in such a way that his or
her transformation is credible, meaningful, and emotionally
satisfying?
4. What is the plot in the film, and how is the plot used? Ideally,
plot works most effectively when it puts into place forces pitted
against the main character’s goal. In “A Very Long
Engagement,” a young woman cannot believe her fiancé has been killed in World War I. The lethality of the war as well as
the plot to find him and restore the relationship seem closer
to fantasy than a realistic likelyhood. Unless plot puts some kind
of obstacle in the way of the main character achieving his or
her goal, the plot is not working. Think also of the voyage of
the Titanic in “Titanic” as an example where the plot works
effectively. The ship sinks, and Rose’s hope for love becomes
a memory rather than a reality. Deploying plot in a story can be
a major weakness for directors, so this aspect of the director’s
idea requires considerable attention.
5. How do the secondary characters representing the two choices
of the premise fit in with the premise? Are they two distinct
groups—helpers and harmers? Is one of the harmers more
essential than the others? How? This character, the antagonist,
can be the most critical character of all, determining
the vigor of the main character’s response, the shape of the
character arc, and how we feel about the main character at
the end. The more powerful the antagonist, the more
heroic the sense of our main character at the end. In their
nature and actions, secondary characters serve specific purposes
in a script. The more they resonate as people rather
than story elements, the richer the script will be. Although
we experience the story through a main character, secondary
characters can help the script seem more credible and
compelling.
Let’s return to the genre issue at this point. Genre implies the
dramatic arc of the film. A thriller is a chase; a police story is about
solving a crime and putting the criminal away; a gangster film is the
rise and fall of the main character; a science fiction film is a story
about the threat of technology to humanity. Some genres are internal.
The melodrama is about an interior journey around loss, ambition,
or spiritual rebirth. The situation comedy is about values in life
and the behavior of the main character (e.g., a man pretends to be
a woman to further his ambitions for his career in “Tootsie”).
Westerns also tend to be about values, with the pastoral, free past
representing the positive and civilization and progress representing
the negative. Each genre has a different shape. What is the dramatic
arc, and how does it serve the goal of the main character? If the script does not follow genre expectations, do the changes make the
script better, fresher, and stronger . . . or the opposite?
Now that you have read the script a second time and taken copious
notes, a third reading is necessary to explore dimensions of the script
that could yield a director’s idea.
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How the Director’s Idea Works
Two versions of “The Manchurian Candidate” offer us the opportunity
to look at two directors applying two different director’s ideas
to essentially the same story. Both versions are based on George
Axelrod’s screenplay of the Richard Condon novel, and both focus
on the plot of creating an assassin via brainwashing—an assassin
who is trained to kill a presidential candidate at a political convention.
The killing would allow the antagonists and their backers (the
Communists in the 1962 version, a transnational corporation in the
2004 version) to control the presidency and consequently to exploit
the most powerful country in the world for its own purposes. In this
sense, both versions are “paranoid” political thrillers.
The 1962 version, directed by John Frankenheimer, focuses on
Raymond Shaw, who is the assassin brainwashed in Manchuria. His
mother, a conservative political powerhouse, is the American agent
who controls him on behalf of the Communists. Her husband is a
U.S. senator who, as the vice presidential candidate, would become
the presidential candidate when the assassination takes place.
Bennett Marco, Raymond’s commanding officer in Korea, is a man
with bad dreams. He keeps dreaming that Raymond killed members
of their patrol in Korea rather than saving the platoon, as Raymond’s
Medal of Honor commendation reads. These dreams drive Marco
to discover the truth about Raymond Shaw and to try to stop him.
In this version of “The Manchurian Candidate,” Raymond is the
main character, and the Cold War context gives this 1962 film a
frighteningly believable quality. The Axelrod script bristles with
irony about Cold War politics as well as the domestic divide on
race—a black soldier dreams of the Communists as black church
ladies and Marco, a white man, dreams of the Communists as white
church ladies (pillars of their community). The Frankenheimer version
also has humor—the newspaper columnist who sleeps in his
dead wife’s nightgown; the costume party where Senator Jordan’s
daughter, the lost love of Raymond Shaw, appears wearing a Queen
of Hearts costume. The Queen of Hearts is the visual cue to put
Raymond into a hypnotic state. This time instant obedience is to a
good purpose—to advance his relationship with the woman he loves.
The Frankenheimer version also has daring scenes, such as the
seductive train conversation between Marco, in the midst of a panic
attack, and Rosie, the woman who becomes his love interest.
Another such scene is the Raymond Shaw confessional scene
(“I know I’m not loveable”), where Raymond recounts his relationship
with Jocelyn Jordan at a time when he was loveable. The scene ends
with his mother stepping in to destroy the relationship.
The irony, the humor, and the audacious scenes are characteristic
of the first version of the film but are absent in the later version.
Frankenheimer’s director’s idea was to focus on power and powerlessness:
political power and powerlessness, personal power and
powerlessness. This idea arises from a less conscious substrata of the
plot, the creation of an assassin for political purposes. To articulate
how the director’s idea works, we must look first at the characterizations.
Raymond is powerless with regard to his relationship with his
mother and his Communist handlers. Bennett Marco is also powerless
and is a victim of his dreams. He is powerless as a military man
subjected to political authority, and he is even more powerless as a
troubled military man within the structure of the military. Power,
on the other hand, is embedded in the Communists’ scientific ruthlessness
(evaluating the brainwashing apparatus by carrying out a
murder at each stage of testing), in Raymond Shaw’s mother’s political
power, and in Communist influence via Raymond’s mother
over her Senator husband and through his nomination as vice president
and candidate for his party.
Visually, the theme of power and powerlessness is created by
Frankenheimer’s camera choices. He often used a moving camera
and wide-angle or deep-focus images to create a sense of power.
When we see Raymond in his mother’s home, the depth of focus of
the images of her home conveys her power. Her dominance in the
foreground of those images tells us who is at the top of this pyramid
of power. Rarely has a matriarch been as evocatively captured visually.
Powerlessness, on the other hand, is presented in the middle or
background of the frame, where Raymond Shaw and Bennett
Marco are so often found, as are Raymond’s victims, his newspaper
employer, Senator Jordan, and Jocelyn Jordan. And, by using a
moving camera to approach the victims, the ultimate outcome of
powerlessness, death, is all the more vividly presented.
If the original “The Manchurian Candidate” is about externalized
power and powerlessness, Jonathan Demme’s 2004 version is about
something far more internal. Whether he is portraying a descent into
madness or madness run amok in the political–industrial complex,
Demme’s concerns are all the more personalized. In this version,
Bennett Marco is the main character, and Raymond Shaw occupies
the plot position the Marco character occupied in the first version.
In this version, both Shaw and Marco have been implanted with devices
to make them compliant to the wishes of the corporation—to assassinate
the President. In this version, Vice President Raymond Shaw will
become the corporation’s President rather than the President of all the
people. The Jordans, who played such personal roles in the first version,
are now relegated to being political adversaries. Rosie, the love
interest for the Marco character in the first version, is now an FBI
agent investigating Marco’s allegations. She pretends to be interested
in Marco romantically and, although she echoes Janet Leigh’s dialogue
from the first version, plays a far more central role in this version.
Demme’s director’s idea was that paranoia when it is real is not
madness, but he works with an inner sense of madness and paranoia,
particularly for Marco. Although Shaw and Al Melvin (Jeffrey
Wright) are both played off center (troubled, disturbed), in fact the
majority of the inner madness is left to Marco to portray.
To deepen
this idea, Demme used many more close-up and medium-range
shots than is typical. Long shots and wide-angle shots tend to contextualize,
and Demme was trying to take away rather than create
context. He also used a camera placement that crowds the Marco
character, again creating a sense of disturbance and that all is not
right. The pace of shots and scenes, particularly early in the film,
also suggests disruption, that the circuits are not all working.
What works less well here are the actors’ performances feeding
this sense of madness and paranoia. The performances tend to be
too realistic. Perhaps an example from a director’s idea keyed to performance
will illustrate my point here. Elia Kazan, in his direction
of performances in “Splendor in the Grass,” perfectly captured his
director’s idea. “Splendor in the Grass,” set in 1928 Kansas, tells the
story of two teenagers in love. Deenie is beautiful and poor. Bud is
handsome and rich. Both are overflowing with sexual desire and
both are mindful of their parents’ admonitions. Her mother tells her
that boys don’t respect girls who go all the way. His father tells him
that he has plans for him (to go to Yale and take over the business),
and if he gets Deenie pregnant he will have to marry her (and ruin
his life).
Kazan begins the film in mid shot. The two main characters,
Deenie and Bud, are kissing passionately in his convertible, parked
adjacent to a waterfall. The sensuality at the core of the scene is
powerful, but the scene ends with Bud frustrated at Deenie’s resistance
to go any further than petting. The next scene is between
Deenie and her mother after Bud has dropped her at home. The
scene that follows is Bud’s return home and his encounter with his
father. Both Deenie and Bud try to articulate their feelings but neither
parent allows those feelings to be acknowledged. Deenie and
Bud are clearly overwhelmed by their desire, and the parents warn
their children about the consequences of that desire.
Here is the
point where Kazan’s brilliance with actors deepens the director’s
idea. Kazan’s director’s idea is that sexuality is tactile and good but
to censor it is destructive.
In the scene between Deenie and her mother, the mother states
her position. Deenie asks about whether she, the mother, ever felt
(as Deenie does about Bud) desire for Deenie’s father, her husband.
Deenie at this point embraces and holds on to the mother, as the
mother tells her that women do not like sex and they give in to their
husbands’ sexual desires only after they are married. When the
mother is not being held by her daughter she is munching away at
a sandwich. The tactile quality, the physical need of each character
is pronounced and central here; it overrides what is being said. For
Kazan the need to touch is more important than the words spoken.
We find a parallel in the scene between Bud and his father.
pummels Bud verbally with his ambitions for his son. All the while
the father also physically pummels Bud, punching him with a mix
of pride and aggression. As he punches Bud’s shoulders, again we
are aware of how much each of these characters needs a physical
connection. Again, Kazan used his direction of the performances
to illustrate the primacy of the physical. Indeed, for Kazan, desire
and physicality are life itself, while control and censorship imply a
life half lived and worse, as the tragedy that befalls these two
lovers suggests.
Returning to Jonathan Demme’s treatment of the performances
in “The Manchurian Candidate,” I have suggested that overall they
were too realistic. Although Raymond Shaw and his mother are presented
as narcissistic and political, we do not sense any madness
here nor is there madness to be found in the Marco character.
Because Rosie is there not as a bystander drawn to Marco in the
midst of a panic attack (as in the first version) but rather as an FBI
plant, she gives credibility to Marco’s eccentric behavior.
Consequently, only Wright’s portrayal of Al Melvin’s character suggests
the madness that is necessary to make the director’s idea work
as effectively as does his early camera placements. The realism of
the performances suggests that the political–industrial complex has
an agenda that is credible and feasible And, in good thriller fashion,
the audience is saved when Marco kills Shaw and his mother, preventing
them from highjacking the presidency. Were the performances
keyed to the director’s idea as they were in Kazan’s
“Splendor in the Grass,” this remake of “The Manchurian
Candidate” would have been as unnerving as the original.
Having looked at how a director’s idea shapes choices for the
director and how those choices either deepen the outcome or, in
the case of “The Manchurian Candidate,” differentiate two treatments
of the same story, we should now return to our central topic
of the good director.
I hope that I have not suggested that there is a single approach
to being a good director. On the contrary, how good a director will
be depends upon how far the director goes in his realization of the
director’s idea. Before providing a case study of the good director,
I would like to address the diversity among good directors.
First not all directors are exceptional in every area. Essentially,
the areas of opportunity are performance, visualization, and text
interpretation. As I mentioned earlier, Elia Kazan’s strength lies in
his direction of the performances of his actors. I would add that he
is also a powerful interpreter of text. His film “America America”
(1962) offers a good example. The director’s idea in “America
America,” an epic journey of a young man from Turkey to
America, is that in life everyone is either master or slave; consequently,
in every scene—whether involving a father and son, husband
and wife, employer and employee, or simply fellow
travelers—the director’s idea determines the shape and outcome
and the level of the performance within the scene. The visualization
in “America America” is strong but secondary to the director’s
text interpretation.
Visualization on the other hand, goes to the core of Ridley
Scott’s work. His director’s idea in “Gladiator” is “What is a man?”
Scott is interested in all aspects of manhood—son, father, friend,
lover, leader. His visualization of the main character, Maximus, is
Scott’s idealization of what it is to be a man—assertive, aggressive,
yet tender and moral. The antagonist, Commodus, on the other
hand, is less than a man. He becomes Caesar by killing his father.
He is cowardly, a man in need of constant attention and jealous of
rivals, a man who needs his sister’s comfort to have a night’s sleep.
Scott’s visualization of manhood is always powerful. Maximus is
foregrounded and photographed in movement.
Low angles suggest
his heroism. Commodus, on the other hand, appears mid-frame or
toward the back. Mid shots instead of close-ups make him appear
less of a man. Ridley Scott relied on visualization to articulate his
director’s idea.
The Coen brothers had a very different director’s idea in
“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Their idea is that the American
odyssey is less noble than the original. It is all about self-interest
and religion, sin and repentance. This fable-like idea requires
exaggerated performances, exaggerated text readings, and a
visual style that connotes the opposite of realism—let’s call it the
fabulous.
What I am suggesting is that to be a good director, the director
must have a director’s idea that he executes using the tools of directing—
text interpretation, performance, visualization in balance with
the director’s interests and skills. Now, let’s turn to a case study of
good directing.
to look at two directors applying two different director’s ideas
to essentially the same story. Both versions are based on George
Axelrod’s screenplay of the Richard Condon novel, and both focus
on the plot of creating an assassin via brainwashing—an assassin
who is trained to kill a presidential candidate at a political convention.
The killing would allow the antagonists and their backers (the
Communists in the 1962 version, a transnational corporation in the
2004 version) to control the presidency and consequently to exploit
the most powerful country in the world for its own purposes. In this
sense, both versions are “paranoid” political thrillers.
The 1962 version, directed by John Frankenheimer, focuses on
Raymond Shaw, who is the assassin brainwashed in Manchuria. His
mother, a conservative political powerhouse, is the American agent
who controls him on behalf of the Communists. Her husband is a
U.S. senator who, as the vice presidential candidate, would become
the presidential candidate when the assassination takes place.
Bennett Marco, Raymond’s commanding officer in Korea, is a man
with bad dreams. He keeps dreaming that Raymond killed members
of their patrol in Korea rather than saving the platoon, as Raymond’s
Medal of Honor commendation reads. These dreams drive Marco
to discover the truth about Raymond Shaw and to try to stop him.
In this version of “The Manchurian Candidate,” Raymond is the
main character, and the Cold War context gives this 1962 film a
frighteningly believable quality. The Axelrod script bristles with
irony about Cold War politics as well as the domestic divide on
race—a black soldier dreams of the Communists as black church
ladies and Marco, a white man, dreams of the Communists as white
church ladies (pillars of their community). The Frankenheimer version
also has humor—the newspaper columnist who sleeps in his
dead wife’s nightgown; the costume party where Senator Jordan’s
daughter, the lost love of Raymond Shaw, appears wearing a Queen
of Hearts costume. The Queen of Hearts is the visual cue to put
Raymond into a hypnotic state. This time instant obedience is to a
good purpose—to advance his relationship with the woman he loves.
The Frankenheimer version also has daring scenes, such as the
seductive train conversation between Marco, in the midst of a panic
attack, and Rosie, the woman who becomes his love interest.
Another such scene is the Raymond Shaw confessional scene
(“I know I’m not loveable”), where Raymond recounts his relationship
with Jocelyn Jordan at a time when he was loveable. The scene ends
with his mother stepping in to destroy the relationship.
The irony, the humor, and the audacious scenes are characteristic
of the first version of the film but are absent in the later version.
Frankenheimer’s director’s idea was to focus on power and powerlessness:
political power and powerlessness, personal power and
powerlessness. This idea arises from a less conscious substrata of the
plot, the creation of an assassin for political purposes. To articulate
how the director’s idea works, we must look first at the characterizations.
Raymond is powerless with regard to his relationship with his
mother and his Communist handlers. Bennett Marco is also powerless
and is a victim of his dreams. He is powerless as a military man
subjected to political authority, and he is even more powerless as a
troubled military man within the structure of the military. Power,
on the other hand, is embedded in the Communists’ scientific ruthlessness
(evaluating the brainwashing apparatus by carrying out a
murder at each stage of testing), in Raymond Shaw’s mother’s political
power, and in Communist influence via Raymond’s mother
over her Senator husband and through his nomination as vice president
and candidate for his party.
Visually, the theme of power and powerlessness is created by
Frankenheimer’s camera choices. He often used a moving camera
and wide-angle or deep-focus images to create a sense of power.
When we see Raymond in his mother’s home, the depth of focus of
the images of her home conveys her power. Her dominance in the
foreground of those images tells us who is at the top of this pyramid
of power. Rarely has a matriarch been as evocatively captured visually.
Powerlessness, on the other hand, is presented in the middle or
background of the frame, where Raymond Shaw and Bennett
Marco are so often found, as are Raymond’s victims, his newspaper
employer, Senator Jordan, and Jocelyn Jordan. And, by using a
moving camera to approach the victims, the ultimate outcome of
powerlessness, death, is all the more vividly presented.
If the original “The Manchurian Candidate” is about externalized
power and powerlessness, Jonathan Demme’s 2004 version is about
something far more internal. Whether he is portraying a descent into
madness or madness run amok in the political–industrial complex,
Demme’s concerns are all the more personalized. In this version,
Bennett Marco is the main character, and Raymond Shaw occupies
the plot position the Marco character occupied in the first version.
In this version, both Shaw and Marco have been implanted with devices
to make them compliant to the wishes of the corporation—to assassinate
the President. In this version, Vice President Raymond Shaw will
become the corporation’s President rather than the President of all the
people. The Jordans, who played such personal roles in the first version,
are now relegated to being political adversaries. Rosie, the love
interest for the Marco character in the first version, is now an FBI
agent investigating Marco’s allegations. She pretends to be interested
in Marco romantically and, although she echoes Janet Leigh’s dialogue
from the first version, plays a far more central role in this version.
Demme’s director’s idea was that paranoia when it is real is not
madness, but he works with an inner sense of madness and paranoia,
particularly for Marco. Although Shaw and Al Melvin (Jeffrey
Wright) are both played off center (troubled, disturbed), in fact the
majority of the inner madness is left to Marco to portray.
To deepen
this idea, Demme used many more close-up and medium-range
shots than is typical. Long shots and wide-angle shots tend to contextualize,
and Demme was trying to take away rather than create
context. He also used a camera placement that crowds the Marco
character, again creating a sense of disturbance and that all is not
right. The pace of shots and scenes, particularly early in the film,
also suggests disruption, that the circuits are not all working.
What works less well here are the actors’ performances feeding
this sense of madness and paranoia. The performances tend to be
too realistic. Perhaps an example from a director’s idea keyed to performance
will illustrate my point here. Elia Kazan, in his direction
of performances in “Splendor in the Grass,” perfectly captured his
director’s idea. “Splendor in the Grass,” set in 1928 Kansas, tells the
story of two teenagers in love. Deenie is beautiful and poor. Bud is
handsome and rich. Both are overflowing with sexual desire and
both are mindful of their parents’ admonitions. Her mother tells her
that boys don’t respect girls who go all the way. His father tells him
that he has plans for him (to go to Yale and take over the business),
and if he gets Deenie pregnant he will have to marry her (and ruin
his life).
Kazan begins the film in mid shot. The two main characters,
Deenie and Bud, are kissing passionately in his convertible, parked
adjacent to a waterfall. The sensuality at the core of the scene is
powerful, but the scene ends with Bud frustrated at Deenie’s resistance
to go any further than petting. The next scene is between
Deenie and her mother after Bud has dropped her at home. The
scene that follows is Bud’s return home and his encounter with his
father. Both Deenie and Bud try to articulate their feelings but neither
parent allows those feelings to be acknowledged. Deenie and
Bud are clearly overwhelmed by their desire, and the parents warn
their children about the consequences of that desire.
Here is the
point where Kazan’s brilliance with actors deepens the director’s
idea. Kazan’s director’s idea is that sexuality is tactile and good but
to censor it is destructive.
In the scene between Deenie and her mother, the mother states
her position. Deenie asks about whether she, the mother, ever felt
(as Deenie does about Bud) desire for Deenie’s father, her husband.
Deenie at this point embraces and holds on to the mother, as the
mother tells her that women do not like sex and they give in to their
husbands’ sexual desires only after they are married. When the
mother is not being held by her daughter she is munching away at
a sandwich. The tactile quality, the physical need of each character
is pronounced and central here; it overrides what is being said. For
Kazan the need to touch is more important than the words spoken.
We find a parallel in the scene between Bud and his father.
pummels Bud verbally with his ambitions for his son. All the while
the father also physically pummels Bud, punching him with a mix
of pride and aggression. As he punches Bud’s shoulders, again we
are aware of how much each of these characters needs a physical
connection. Again, Kazan used his direction of the performances
to illustrate the primacy of the physical. Indeed, for Kazan, desire
and physicality are life itself, while control and censorship imply a
life half lived and worse, as the tragedy that befalls these two
lovers suggests.
Returning to Jonathan Demme’s treatment of the performances
in “The Manchurian Candidate,” I have suggested that overall they
were too realistic. Although Raymond Shaw and his mother are presented
as narcissistic and political, we do not sense any madness
here nor is there madness to be found in the Marco character.
Because Rosie is there not as a bystander drawn to Marco in the
midst of a panic attack (as in the first version) but rather as an FBI
plant, she gives credibility to Marco’s eccentric behavior.
Consequently, only Wright’s portrayal of Al Melvin’s character suggests
the madness that is necessary to make the director’s idea work
as effectively as does his early camera placements. The realism of
the performances suggests that the political–industrial complex has
an agenda that is credible and feasible And, in good thriller fashion,
the audience is saved when Marco kills Shaw and his mother, preventing
them from highjacking the presidency. Were the performances
keyed to the director’s idea as they were in Kazan’s
“Splendor in the Grass,” this remake of “The Manchurian
Candidate” would have been as unnerving as the original.
Having looked at how a director’s idea shapes choices for the
director and how those choices either deepen the outcome or, in
the case of “The Manchurian Candidate,” differentiate two treatments
of the same story, we should now return to our central topic
of the good director.
I hope that I have not suggested that there is a single approach
to being a good director. On the contrary, how good a director will
be depends upon how far the director goes in his realization of the
director’s idea. Before providing a case study of the good director,
I would like to address the diversity among good directors.
First not all directors are exceptional in every area. Essentially,
the areas of opportunity are performance, visualization, and text
interpretation. As I mentioned earlier, Elia Kazan’s strength lies in
his direction of the performances of his actors. I would add that he
is also a powerful interpreter of text. His film “America America”
(1962) offers a good example. The director’s idea in “America
America,” an epic journey of a young man from Turkey to
America, is that in life everyone is either master or slave; consequently,
in every scene—whether involving a father and son, husband
and wife, employer and employee, or simply fellow
travelers—the director’s idea determines the shape and outcome
and the level of the performance within the scene. The visualization
in “America America” is strong but secondary to the director’s
text interpretation.
Visualization on the other hand, goes to the core of Ridley
Scott’s work. His director’s idea in “Gladiator” is “What is a man?”
Scott is interested in all aspects of manhood—son, father, friend,
lover, leader. His visualization of the main character, Maximus, is
Scott’s idealization of what it is to be a man—assertive, aggressive,
yet tender and moral. The antagonist, Commodus, on the other
hand, is less than a man. He becomes Caesar by killing his father.
He is cowardly, a man in need of constant attention and jealous of
rivals, a man who needs his sister’s comfort to have a night’s sleep.
Scott’s visualization of manhood is always powerful. Maximus is
foregrounded and photographed in movement.
Low angles suggest
his heroism. Commodus, on the other hand, appears mid-frame or
toward the back. Mid shots instead of close-ups make him appear
less of a man. Ridley Scott relied on visualization to articulate his
director’s idea.
The Coen brothers had a very different director’s idea in
“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Their idea is that the American
odyssey is less noble than the original. It is all about self-interest
and religion, sin and repentance. This fable-like idea requires
exaggerated performances, exaggerated text readings, and a
visual style that connotes the opposite of realism—let’s call it the
fabulous.
What I am suggesting is that to be a good director, the director
must have a director’s idea that he executes using the tools of directing—
text interpretation, performance, visualization in balance with
the director’s interests and skills. Now, let’s turn to a case study of
good directing.
The Director’s Ideas to Make Business
The director’s idea is a deep subtextual interpretation
that unifies the production. Using an aspect of the
main character and his goal, the director finds an
existential, relational, or physical dimension that
relates to the main character in the deepest fashion.
Using the subtextual idea, the director articulates a
complementary approach to the performances and to
the camera. It is the quality of the director’s idea that
differentiates the competent from the good and great
director. The director’s idea drives all the many
decisions a director makes in the course of the
production.
I am going to say many things about technique, about
directors, and about directing. To persuade the reader that what
follows is not simply esoteric, abstract, and academic, I would like
to use this chapter to demonstrate that the views presented in this
book are conceptual in their framing but practical in their goal. The
goal is to help readers become better directors by utilizing the concept
of the director’s idea. What needs to be said at the outset is that
there are all kinds of directors: intuitive directors, self-conscious
directors, dictatorial directors, laissez-faire directors, directors whose
agendas are political, and directors who are utterly commercial and
exploitative in their intentions.
In order to develop our understanding of directing, we must
consider three broad areas of decision making that are critical to
defining the type of director: (1) text interpretation, (2) attitude toward
directing actors, and (3) how the camera is used (e.g., shot selection,
camera angle, shape of the shot, point of view of the shot). Beyond
those areas is the issue of whether the director’s decisions add value to
the project. What I am proposing in this book is that there are three
categories of such decision making: competent, good, and great. To
understand directing, each level of decision making must also be
clearly understood; accordingly, the next three chapters address the
concepts of competent, good, and great directing.
In each case, the consciousness of the director’s idea is where
progress begins. The competent director conveys a singular attitude
about the script, be it romantic, violent, or victorious. The good
director conveys a more complex, layered vision of the narrative.
The great director transforms the narrative into something surprising
and revelatory. Each of these options exists. Only the ambition
of the director can elevate the audience’s experience.
The goal of this book is to illuminate the pathway from basic to
great. We can assume that the director consciously chooses a director’s
idea, which implies an awareness about the directorial choices
that must be made and a sense of what constitutes better directing.
This is not a matter of intellect or personality. It is far more about
conscious goal setting and moving along a pathway to achieve that
goal. The opposite view, which has its proponents, is that art (including
directing) is mysterious, subconscious, intuitive, and therefore
impossible to articulate. My approach in the book is to embrace
what I believe to be the source of art making: consciousness.
The
13
The Director’s Idea
greater the consciousness of the director with regard to what the
director’s idea is and how to apply it, the better, the clearer, and the
more powerful the outcome.
The tools that the director uses are text interpretation, directing
the actors, and directing the camera shot selection. The director can
value one of these tools over the other or use them equally.
Whichever he chooses, these three tools are the prism through
which he filters the thousands of choices he will have to make in the
course of a production. What I am suggesting is that a clear, articulated
director’s idea will help sharpen the focus and purpose of those
thousands of decisions.
Here we come to the hierarchy that this book creates as its pathway
to great directing. The presumption here, as elsewhere in life, is that
some people are better at their jobs than others. In addition to our
three categories of competent, good, and great, we could add another
for those who misunderstand directing or are unable to function as
directors. Let us call them ill-suited and unsuccessful in their goal of
directing. Of course, our categories of competent, good, and great are
subjective, so I put forward the following criteria.
The competent director tells a clear story, even an effective story,
but the audience’s experience of the film is single-layered and flat.
A film directed by the competent director can be commercially
successful and the director’s career can be a rewarding one, but
even from the directorial perspective the experience is flat. A competent
director is technically competent and produces shots that are
useful to a clear edit and performances that are credible within the
parameters the director has set for the film. The competent director
provides a kind of technical baseline for the purposes of this book.
The good director gives the audience a more complex experience,
a layered experience. The layering may be generated from a
more complex text interpretation, such as a modern main character
in a classic Western, for example. The layering may arise from modulation
of the actors’ performances; Elia Kazan, the great director of
performers, utilized this kind of strategy. Or the director might use a
broader variety of shots, wide-angle foreground–background shots
rather than mid two shots or extreme long shots rather than the anticipated
close-ups. Whatever the choice, the good director seeks out a
director’s idea that will deepen meaning, add subtext, and complicate
the narrative.
The great director not only adds value to the experience of the
film but also provides a transformative experience. By transformative
I refer to what all great art does: It gives us another way of seeing
the ordinary. A man uses his bike for work. The bike is stolen. The
economic future of his family is in jeopardy. The man steals a bike,
and his son watches as he is caught. The boy shares his humiliation.
Vittoria De Sica transforms an everyday story of survival into a story
about poverty and fathers and sons. The shared humiliation of
father and son will no doubt have an effect on the child. How will
this boy grow up—a thief or a doctor? Will he be a caring or callous
person? Such questions emanate from the directing of “The Bicycle
Thief,” in which De Sica transformed a simple story into something
quite special about all of us. This is what the great director does.
And the instrument is the director’s idea. Because individual chapters
are devoted to each of these categories, we will move on to a
discussion of how a director’s idea unifies a production.
that unifies the production. Using an aspect of the
main character and his goal, the director finds an
existential, relational, or physical dimension that
relates to the main character in the deepest fashion.
Using the subtextual idea, the director articulates a
complementary approach to the performances and to
the camera. It is the quality of the director’s idea that
differentiates the competent from the good and great
director. The director’s idea drives all the many
decisions a director makes in the course of the
production.
I am going to say many things about technique, about
directors, and about directing. To persuade the reader that what
follows is not simply esoteric, abstract, and academic, I would like
to use this chapter to demonstrate that the views presented in this
book are conceptual in their framing but practical in their goal. The
goal is to help readers become better directors by utilizing the concept
of the director’s idea. What needs to be said at the outset is that
there are all kinds of directors: intuitive directors, self-conscious
directors, dictatorial directors, laissez-faire directors, directors whose
agendas are political, and directors who are utterly commercial and
exploitative in their intentions.
In order to develop our understanding of directing, we must
consider three broad areas of decision making that are critical to
defining the type of director: (1) text interpretation, (2) attitude toward
directing actors, and (3) how the camera is used (e.g., shot selection,
camera angle, shape of the shot, point of view of the shot). Beyond
those areas is the issue of whether the director’s decisions add value to
the project. What I am proposing in this book is that there are three
categories of such decision making: competent, good, and great. To
understand directing, each level of decision making must also be
clearly understood; accordingly, the next three chapters address the
concepts of competent, good, and great directing.
In each case, the consciousness of the director’s idea is where
progress begins. The competent director conveys a singular attitude
about the script, be it romantic, violent, or victorious. The good
director conveys a more complex, layered vision of the narrative.
The great director transforms the narrative into something surprising
and revelatory. Each of these options exists. Only the ambition
of the director can elevate the audience’s experience.
The goal of this book is to illuminate the pathway from basic to
great. We can assume that the director consciously chooses a director’s
idea, which implies an awareness about the directorial choices
that must be made and a sense of what constitutes better directing.
This is not a matter of intellect or personality. It is far more about
conscious goal setting and moving along a pathway to achieve that
goal. The opposite view, which has its proponents, is that art (including
directing) is mysterious, subconscious, intuitive, and therefore
impossible to articulate. My approach in the book is to embrace
what I believe to be the source of art making: consciousness.
The
13
The Director’s Idea
greater the consciousness of the director with regard to what the
director’s idea is and how to apply it, the better, the clearer, and the
more powerful the outcome.
The tools that the director uses are text interpretation, directing
the actors, and directing the camera shot selection. The director can
value one of these tools over the other or use them equally.
Whichever he chooses, these three tools are the prism through
which he filters the thousands of choices he will have to make in the
course of a production. What I am suggesting is that a clear, articulated
director’s idea will help sharpen the focus and purpose of those
thousands of decisions.
Here we come to the hierarchy that this book creates as its pathway
to great directing. The presumption here, as elsewhere in life, is that
some people are better at their jobs than others. In addition to our
three categories of competent, good, and great, we could add another
for those who misunderstand directing or are unable to function as
directors. Let us call them ill-suited and unsuccessful in their goal of
directing. Of course, our categories of competent, good, and great are
subjective, so I put forward the following criteria.
The competent director tells a clear story, even an effective story,
but the audience’s experience of the film is single-layered and flat.
A film directed by the competent director can be commercially
successful and the director’s career can be a rewarding one, but
even from the directorial perspective the experience is flat. A competent
director is technically competent and produces shots that are
useful to a clear edit and performances that are credible within the
parameters the director has set for the film. The competent director
provides a kind of technical baseline for the purposes of this book.
The good director gives the audience a more complex experience,
a layered experience. The layering may be generated from a
more complex text interpretation, such as a modern main character
in a classic Western, for example. The layering may arise from modulation
of the actors’ performances; Elia Kazan, the great director of
performers, utilized this kind of strategy. Or the director might use a
broader variety of shots, wide-angle foreground–background shots
rather than mid two shots or extreme long shots rather than the anticipated
close-ups. Whatever the choice, the good director seeks out a
director’s idea that will deepen meaning, add subtext, and complicate
the narrative.
The great director not only adds value to the experience of the
film but also provides a transformative experience. By transformative
I refer to what all great art does: It gives us another way of seeing
the ordinary. A man uses his bike for work. The bike is stolen. The
economic future of his family is in jeopardy. The man steals a bike,
and his son watches as he is caught. The boy shares his humiliation.
Vittoria De Sica transforms an everyday story of survival into a story
about poverty and fathers and sons. The shared humiliation of
father and son will no doubt have an effect on the child. How will
this boy grow up—a thief or a doctor? Will he be a caring or callous
person? Such questions emanate from the directing of “The Bicycle
Thief,” in which De Sica transformed a simple story into something
quite special about all of us. This is what the great director does.
And the instrument is the director’s idea. Because individual chapters
are devoted to each of these categories, we will move on to a
discussion of how a director’s idea unifies a production.
Business & ROMANTIC IDEAS
This is a free bonus version of 101 Romantic Ideas. Feel free to forward to or make copies for your friends.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
101 ROMANTIC IDEAS
by Michael Webb, Founder, TheRomantic.com
IDEA # 1
If your partner is going away for a few days, tell her that you are worried about her so you have organized a bodyguard to look after her. Then give her a small teddy bear.
IDEA # 2
Buy a packet of glow in the dark stars and stick the stars on the roof above your bed to spell out a message such as "I Love You" When the lights go down, your message will be revealed!
IDEA # 3
On a special occasion, buy your partner eleven real red roses and one artificial red rose. Place the artificial rose in the center of the bouquet.
Attach a card that says:
“I will love you until the last rose fades.”
IDEA # 4
Buy the domain name of your partner's name if it is available for example www.TanyaJohnston.com. Create a web page containing a romantic poem and a picture of a rose. When your partner is surfing the web, casually ask whether she has ever checked to see whether her domain name is taken. Let her type it in to discover her page.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 5
Buy a stylish hand mirror and give it to your partner as a gift. Include a card in the box saying
“In this mirror you will see the image of
the most beautiful woman in the world.”
IDEA # 6
Take a book that your partner is reading and using a pencil, underline letters in a section of the book she has yet to read to spell out a love letter. For example in the following exert from a novel, the underlined letters come together to spell out the secret message "I love you"
The palace was a labyrinth, their passage through it tortuous and interminable. Initially they passed from building to building under the sodden sky. Steve's feet ached; he might have laughed at himself, the tireless traveler, grown too soft from his months in the city to walk any proper distance. Abruptly the guards halted.
The underlined letters will make your partner curious and with a bit of luck she will write them down. Spend time to encode a proper message such as "Dear Belinda, I love you honey"
IDEA # 7
Have flowers delivered to your partner's workplace. She will not only enjoy the flowers but will also receive comments and attention from her office mates which will add to her enjoyment.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 8
While walking with your partner on a weekend getaway, pick up a smooth stone and say that you're going to keep it as a special memento of your trip. Later, have a message such as
"I Love Rebecca"
engraved into the stone by a jeweler and give it to your partner.
IDEA # 9
Drive into the country, find a grassy hill and lie with your partner and look up at the clouds.
Play the kid’s game of looking for shapes in the cloud formations.
IDEA # 10
Get a piece of paper and some crayons. Draw a bright childlike picture with a smiley sun and two stick figures holding hands. Add labels with your two names pointing to the stick figures. Write "I Love You" inside a heart.
Next get a large formal envelope. Place your drawing inside and type up a formal address label of your partner's work such as:
For the immediate and urgent attention of:
Rebecca Jones
Level 20
Collins & Smith Solicitors
New York
Mail it to your partner so she receives it in the middle of a busy day.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 11
Memorize one of Shakespeare's love sonnets and recite it to your partner when you are in a romantic setting like a botanical garden. Don't just suddenly start reciting poetry as this will just sound corny.
While you are cuddling your partner, ask in a joking manner, "So is now a good time to recite a love poem to you?" She will probably say yes, expecting you to come up with something of the "Roses are Red..." variety.
Instead, look into her eyes, smile and recite the sonnet while you gently stroke her face. Try the sonnet below. If this is too long, just memorize the first four lines and the last two.
Shakespeare Love Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest,
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 12
If your partner has to work late, take a lunch box and fill it with some of her favorite things such as chocolates, herbal tea, cookies, a small teddy bear.
Next, get a piece of paper and write
"Michelle's Late Night Survival Pack"
Draw a big red cross below this and stick the paper to the top of the box. Tell your partner to open the box when things get really tough.
IDEA # 13
If you are walking by a park, visit the swings and give your partner a ride. This will often bring back happy memories from her childhood.
IDEA # 14
Leave a long stem rose where your partner will find it with a note on it saying:
"Thank you for coming into my life."
IDEA # 15
If your partner is starting a new job, buy a copy of "The Sound Of Music" sound track. Tape the song, "I Have Confidence" onto a tape and add your own message at the end of the song saying,
"Good Luck honey, I have confidence in you."
Give the tape to your partner to play on the way to work in the car.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 16
Buy a small decorated cardboard box, a sheet of colored tissue paper, some massage oil and a blank card.
Line the box with the tissue paper. Place the massage oil in the box and write the following message on the card:
I know a great Masseur.
For an appointment ring:
(Your Phone Number)
IDEA # 17
When your spouse has had a really long hard day, run a hot bath for her. Pour some fragrant bath oil into the tub and gently bathe her from head to toe. Carry her into the bedroom. Gently towel her dry and tuck her into a freshly made bed with a kiss on the forehead.
IDEA # 18
For this idea you will need a portable CD player. If you and your partner have a favorite song, get a copy of it on CD and take it with you when you go away for a romantic weekend.
When you are in a romantic spot, ask your partner if she would like to dance. Place one earpiece in her ear and one in your own and enjoy your private dance floor.
This technique is particularly effective if the romantic spot you have chosen is somewhere where people would not normally dance, for example, the top of the Empire State building at sunset or on top of a mountain during a camping trip.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 19
If your partner has a pet that she adores, at Christmas, in addition to buying a gift for your partner, buy a small present for her pet.
IDEA # 20
Go for a walk on the beach. Trace out the shape of a large love heart in the sand. Sit inside the heart and cuddle your partner as you watch the sun go down.
IDEA # 21
Invite your partner to go for a walk. Get a back pack and pack the following items: A picnic blanket, a selection of fruit in small containers eg. strawberries, grapes, watermelon and kiwi fruit. Some cheese and crackers. Some sandwiches. A small tin of caviar. A half bottle of champagne and two plastic champagne glasses. If your partner asks what's in the backpack, just say a jacket and some lunch.
When you find a romantic spot, ask if she would like to stop for a bite to eat. Open your pack and remove the items one by one to set up your picnic. The last item you remove should be the glasses and champagne.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 22
If you play a musical instrument, create a romantic environment in which to play for your partner. For example, let's say you play the saxophone. Contact your partner's roommate and arrange for her to make sure that your partner steps out onto the balcony of their apartment at exactly 9.30pm.
Drive to her apartment and set up before hand. Place a large sparkler in the music holder of your sax and light it as your partner steps on to the balcony. Play something slow and romantic.
IDEA # 23
Use this idea if your partner is going to work and you are staying at home for some reason (Perhaps you are sick or are working from home).
Say goodbye to her at the front door and then immediately send an email to her work address. The email should simply say,
"Miss you already".
The email will be in her in-box when she does her morning email check.
IDEA # 24
If your partner has long hair, take the time to brush it using long slow strokes. This is particularly effective after she has had a shower or when she is getting ready for bed.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 25
On a special occasion like your partner's birthday, plan a treasure hunt for her. The fun begins when you suggest going for a walk on the beach.
When you get to the beach, carry a small bag with you. The bag contains a bottle that you prepared earlier. Inside the bottle is a treasure map. To make the treasure map look authentic, burn the edges with a match.
As you are walking, slip the bottle out of your bag and let it drop to the sand near the water's edge. You may have to pause and kiss your partner to do this unnoticed. Walk a little further up the beach then turn around and retrace your steps to 'discover' the bottle.
On the map have a dotted line leading from the beach to a nearby cafe. At the cafe, your partner won't know what to look for so suggest that you just sit down and have a cup of coffee.
When the waitress delivers the coffee, she suggests to your partner that she might find what she is looking for under the coaster. When your partner turns over the coaster she finds a key taped to the bottom. Obviously you will have to set this up before hand with the waitress. Most waitresses will be happy to help a romantic guy out with this type of thing.
At the next stop on the map, your partner finds or is given a spade. Then at the last stop on the map your partner finds a large 'X' made up of two crossed sticks. She digs and discovers a locked box. The key unlocks the box to reveal her present.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 26
Invite your partner on a date by sending her a plain brown envelope containing a tape. On the tape, record the Mission Impossible sound track and then record yourself saying, “Your mission if you choose to accept it is to make your way to Café Venoli, 123 Park Lane at 18.30 Eastern Standard Time. There you will rendezvous with a stunningly attractive man wearing a red carnation. The future of the free world is now in your hands. This tape will self destruct in five seconds.” Then record ten beeps from a stopwatch and record yourself saying, “Would you believe ten seconds…” Its corny but it usually gets a laugh!
IDEA # 27
Contact your partner's family and ask if there was anything she always wanted when she was a little girl.
For example if she always wanted a porcelain doll, buy one for her birthday. She will not only appreciate the gift but also the fact that you were thoughtful enough to find out what she always wanted.
IDEA # 28
Organize a professional photo shoot to obtain a portrait of the two of you as a couple. Frame the picture and put it somewhere prominent. Remember to make sure you give your partner plenty of notice so that she can get ready.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 29
Write a note saying
"I thought of you today, and it made me smile."
Leave the note somewhere where your partner is sure to find it.
IDEA # 30
For Valentines Day, buy your partner a charm bracelet with at least 14 charms.
Remove all the charms and let your partner 'find' one charm each day for the first fourteen days of February. On Valentines Day give her the bracelet and any remaining charms.
IDEA # 31
When you and your partner are in a shopping center or airport, stop at one of those booths that allow you to take an instant photo and print them out as stickers.
Choose a romantic background and kiss your partner while the photo is being taken.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 32
If your partner has voice mail at work or on her mobile, leave a message saying
"Just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you."
She will appreciate this anytime but especially when she is going through a rough period.
IDEA # 33
Organize a mystery trip for you and your partner. Some travel agents will organize mystery packages where the destination of the trip is kept secret until you are actually on the plane or arrive at the destination.
IDEA # 34
Buy some rose petals and place them behind the sun visor on the passenger side of your car. Take a post it note and write, "I Love You" on it and stick it to the back of the sun visor.
As you are driving to a romantic destination, look at your partner and tell her she has a mark on her cheek. She will pull down the sun visor to use the mirror and be showered in rose petals and see your note.
IDEA # 35
If your partner is going on a trip, pack a small present into the corner of her suitcase that she will find when she is away.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 36
When you and your partner are having an anniversary, buy two champagne glasses and get them engraved with your names and the date, for example:
Mal and Kate
7 May 2002
Go to the restaurant where you have made your reservations and request that when you and your partner arrive that your champagne be served in your special glasses. This will be a great surprise for your partner and a wonderful keepsake for you both.
IDEA # 37
On a special occasion such as your partner's birthday, buy twenty-four red roses. Arrange to meet her at a specific spot in a shopping mall before going out for dinner. Get to the shopping mall early and position yourself around the corner from your meeting spot.
Ask a guy who is walking by whether he would mind helping you out. Give him a rose, point out your partner and ask him to walk up to her and say, "Happy Birthday Meagan" and give her the rose and then walk away. Repeat this with eleven other guys. Choose guys who are not too good looking and choose guys of different ages. A nice touch is to have the last rose delivered by a small child who could even by accompanied by his parents.
After the first twelve flowers have been delivered, approach your partner with the twelve remaining roses.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 38
Always listen for things that your partner reminisces about and jot them down somewhere. For example, perhaps she talks about the ice cream that she had from a particular shop when she was a little girl.
When a special occasion comes along, check your list of things that your partner talks about and try to recreate one of them, for example, visit the shop and buy a tub of ice cream making sure that the name of the shop is on the container.
IDEA # 39
Create a love montage by collecting some photographs of you and your partner, some ticket stubs of places you have visited and any other small odds and ends that have special meaning to you both.
Take these items and get them professionally framed in a three dimensional montage. Alternatively, buy a frame and create a simple montage yourself.
IDEA # 40
Buy an ornately carved wooden box which is lined with green or red felt. Find an old fashioned key and place it in the box.
Next, get a small gold plaque and have it engraved with the words
The Key To My Heart
Fix the plaque to the inside of the top of the box so that it can be read when the box is opened.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 41
Buy a tree with your partner and plant it in a special spot. Each year on your anniversary, have a glass of champagne next to your tree and talk about how your love and the tree have grown.
IDEA # 42
If you shower first in the morning. Steam up the bathroom and write a message such as "Pete Loves Kathy" on the mirror for your partner to read when she uses the bathroom. This also works on car windows when it's cold.
IDEA # 43
As a special gift, name a Star after your partner. A number of astronomical agencies allow individuals to name stars and you receive formal documentation identifying the star that you have named. See the following website for details:
http://www.theromantic.com/gifts.htm
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 44
Find a comic strip that relates to something that you and your partner have shared together, for example perhaps you both work in the same office and you find a Dilbert cartoon that relates to the politics at your workplace.
Enlarge the cartoon using a photocopier and use white-out to cover the cartoon text. Type up your own text that relates to you and your partner and paste it in the appropriate places and then photocopy the cartoon again so that it looks like your text was the actual text of the cartoon.
For an added touch, get your customized cartoon laminated before giving it to your partner.
IDEA # 45
When you and your partner are enjoying a restful time away, organize to wake up early one morning and go to a scenic spot to watch the sun rise.
This may seem difficult but it is something which is definitely worth doing at least once. Seeing a new day being born is something really special to share with your partner.
IDEA # 46
When you have access to a spa, create a romantic atmosphere by placing some candles around the tub and some rose petals floating on the surface of the water.
As your partner enjoys the water, serve champagne and chocolate covered strawberries before joining her.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 47
Create some love coupons that your partner can exchange for romantic favors.
For example you could have a coupon that reads
This coupon entitles the bearer to:
One Foot Massage.
Use by 07/08/2045
Use a date many years in the future if you want to suggest that you and your partner will always be together. Get 50 love coupons at this site: http://www.theromantic.com/lovecoupons.htm
IDEA # 48
On a warm summers night, organize a backyard picnic. Spread a picnic blanket on the ground and get together some snacks, chocolates and champagne. Lie down on the blanket with your partner and gaze up at the stars together.
IDEA # 49
Next time it is raining really heavily, go for a walk with your partner. Forget the umbrellas and the raincoats. Run through the streets together, jump in puddles and get totally saturated.
Pick her up, twirl her around and kiss her while the rain falls. Taste the water off her face and hold her close.
When you get back home have a hot shower and then share a warm drink preferably in front of an open fire.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 50
Organize a hot air ballooning trip as a special surprise. Most trips begin with a glass of champagne before you float over the countryside with your partner.
IDEA # 51
When your partner is sitting at a table or desk, come up behind him or her and give her a back, shoulder and head massage. Finish with a gentle kiss on the cheek.
IDEA # 52
Place an ad in the paper on a normal day saying something like:
Dear Amanda,
With you by my side, everyday
feels like Valentines Day.
Thank you for being you.
Love,
Graham
IDEA # 53
Buy a book that you and your partner are both interested in reading.
Read one chapter each night in bed with each of you taking turns to read out loud.
This can be a great alternative to television.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 54
When your partner is having a shower or bath, take her towel and place it in the dryer to make it really warm and then wrap her up in it when she is done.
IDEA # 55
Photocopy your hand and fax a copy of it to your partner with a message saying, "Do ya wanna hold hands?"
IDEA # 56
Next time you order a pizza, ask to have it cut into a heart shape before it is delivered to your home.
IDEA # 57
Buy a box of chocolates and very carefully open one side of the plastic wrap so that you can gently slide the box out. Open the box and place a love note inside. Then slide the box back into its plastic wrap and reseal it.
IDEA # 58
Rent a tandem bike and go for a ride with your partner. At the end of your ride have a picnic in the park.
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IDEA # 59
If you are away on a business trip, document a day in your life for your partner. For example:
'A Day In The Life Of Mark'
6am: Just woke up and thought of you - Wish you were laying next to me. Well, I better get ready for work.
7am: Am on the train. It's crowded; everyone looks like they are half dead. I miss ya heaps.
8.30am: Have just organized my day, it's going to be a busy one.
9.30am: Am in the middle of a really boring meeting. I am trying to concentrate on this months sales figures but I keep thinking of your beautiful eyes.
...
6.30pm: Thank goodness the day is over. I am counting the days until we’re together again.
Send your letter to your partner. This is a wonderful way to tell your partner how often you think about her during the day and to share your life with her in a special way.
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IDEA # 60
Speak to your partner's family and find out what her favorite book was when she was a little girl.
Buy a copy of the book and read it to her in bed.
IDEA # 61
Write an email story with your partner. Start the ball rolling with an email that says something like:
Chapter 1:
This is the story of Pete and Kate who met at a friend's engagement party one summer afternoon.
The email can then continue to develop the beginnings of a story which can be completely fictitious or a combination of fiction and reality.
Finish your email by saying, "And now for Chapter 2, its over to you..."
IDEA # 62
Buy a kite and on a windy day find a park and fly the kite with your partner.
If you can afford it, buy a large kite that you control with two hand lines. These kites are great fun.
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IDEA # 63
When you and your partner are planning to go out for dinner, suggest that you have an 'Adventure Dinner'. Here's how it works
Set the timer on your stopwatch to count down twenty minutes. Next, ask your partner to choose a number between 5 and 10. Lets say she chooses 7.
Give your partner a coin and tell her that at every 7th intersection, she has to flip the coin. If it is heads you will turn left. If it is tails you will turn right. When your watch timer goes off you have to both keep a look out for the nearest place to eat.
This is a fun way to get out and about and try new places to eat.
IDEA # 64
When you and your partner are going somewhere special, get your camera, buy a new roll of film and wait for her to come out of the house.
When she appears, act like a professional photographer and go wild taking pictures of her with the flash. While you are taking photos, bombard her with questions as though she was a famous actress and you are trying to get a scoop for the magazine you represent.
Not only is this fun but you will also get some great photos to look back on together.
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IDEA # 65
When your partner is sick at home, take a day off to look after her.
Rent some videos, make her some soup, wrap her up in a blanket and just be with her.
IDEA # 66
When you are having dinner one night, ask your partner about the things she has always wanted to do.
Later on, write these things down so you don't forget them and over time try and help make them happen. For example she may say that one thing she has always wanted to do is swim with dolphins. Find out where she can do this and organize it for her as a special surprise.
IDEA # 67
Rent the video, "An Affair To Remember". Buy some popcorn, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries and have a special film night at home.
IDEA # 68
Go to the drive in but instead of sitting in the car, spread a picnic blanket on the ground. Light a candle and buy popcorn. Cuddle your partner and enjoy the film.
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IDEA # 69
Create a personalized magazine cover for your partner. To do this, get hold of a good quality photo of her and a copy of a popular entertainment magazine.
Take these two items to a print shop or graphic design agency. Ask them to scan your partner's photo and develop a magazine cover with the lead story being, "The 30 most beautiful women of 2003".
When you get the cover, stick it on the front of a real magazine and ask your local shop owner whether you can place it in the magazine rack. Organize to meet your partner at the shop before going out. When she arrives, tell her that you are just looking for a magazine. Let her browse the rack and discover her magazine.
IDEA # 70
Fill the trunk of your car with helium balloons. Drive to a romantic spot in the country to go for a walk. The ideal spot is somewhere up high with a clear view of the surrounding countryside.
Get out of the car and act as though you are about to set off for your walk. Make sure your partner is closer to the car than you and then throw her the keys and ask if she can get your jacket from the trunk while you tie your shoelace.
When she opens the boot the balloons will be released. You can also place a sign saying, "I Love You" on the inside of the trunk so that it will be revealed when the trunk opens.
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IDEA # 71
On a special occasion create a unique present for your partner by buying two white t-shirts and some fabric paint. Draw half a heart and the letters LO on one t-shirt and the half a heart and the letters VE on the other t-shirt.
When you walk down the street holding each other close, the heart will be made whole and your message of love revealed.
An example is shown below.
IDEA # 72
On a hot summers day, buy two large water pistols and take them to the beach with you.
Pull them out and throw one to your partner and then have a huge water fight.
IDEA # 73
Share your food with your partner. When you go out for a meal, hold a forkful up to her mouth and say, "You've got to try this."
Sharing your food and even feeding each other is a great way to become closer as a couple.
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IDEA # 74
Compliment your partner in public. If you are talking in a group and it is appropriate to the conversation say something like, "Kate makes the most incredible roast." Squeeze her hand while you are talking about her.
IDEA # 75
Arrange a special day off from work. Start with breakfast, go for a walk in the park, go shopping, have afternoon tea in a cozy cafe and finish off with a romantic dinner.
IDEA # 76
Buy a gift voucher for a facial at a local beauty clinic and place it in a card accompanied by the message,
A special treat for
someone special
IDEA # 77
Even if you are just going down the road to buy some milk, act as though you are returning home after a major adventure.
Say something like, "Well it was touch and go there for a while with the snow and the wolves but I made it!" and then give your partner a huge bear hug.
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IDEA # 78
Send your partner a thank-you note. For example:
Dear Bec,
Thanks for helping me move house.
Having you there made a huge difference.
I really appreciate your help and your love.
Tim
IDEA # 79
If you have kids, organize for them to stay at their grandparents for the weekend.
On Friday evening, announce that the weekend is yours and start planning how you are going to spend your special time together.
IDEA # 80
Give your partner a magic gift box. Every month, place a new small gift in the box for her to discover.
IDEA # 81
Research your partner's favorite hobby and identify a gift that is really useful for her. The more specialized the gift the more impact it will have. Talk to her friends and family and use the Net to find the information you need.
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IDEA # 82
Go to a masquerade ball. Send an invitation to your partner telling her to meet you at a specific spot at the stroke of eight.
Wear a mask and when you meet her, don't say a word. Just take her hand and lead her on to the dance floor.
IDEA # 83
On Thursday, ask your partner to pack a bag for the weekend. Tell her she'll need casual clothes and walking shoes but don't tell her what you have got planned.
Pick her up after work on Friday and drive to a romantic bed and breakfast for a romantic weekend of relaxation.
IDEA # 84
When you are relaxing at home one night, take two large sheets of paper and some pencils or crayons. On each piece of paper, draw the outline of a large crystal ball sitting on a stand.
Tell your partner to look into her crystal ball and draw what she sees five years in the future. Do the same thing yourself and then come together to share and discuss your drawings.
IDEA # 85
Create a loving nickname for your partner. This could be the name she was called by her family when she was a little girl or something that is special just for the two of you.
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IDEA # 86
If you are musically inclined, write a love song for your partner. Call it something like "Natasha's Song".
Produce a professional looking manuscript, print it out and get it framed. Record your song onto CD and take a photo of your partner and get a print shop to create a CD cover if you can’t create one on your computer.
Place the framed manuscript and the CD in a box and give it to your partner as a special gift.
IDEA # 87
Pick your partner up for a date and blindfold her before driving to a special destination.
Try to make the destination something really unexpected like a table set up at the top of a cliff or a dinner on a boat or old-fashioned ship. It needs to be something that will have an impact when she removes the blindfold.
IDEA # 88
Have a really big pillow fight. Set up for it by buying two pillows that are filled with feathers. Put holes in the pillows so the feathers will start to fly and then attack your partner when you feel the time is right.
IDEA # 89
Get out into the great outdoors. After a day of hiking, build an open fire. Sit by the fire with your partner, toast marshmallows and watch as the embers of the fire climb into the night sky.
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IDEA # 90
If your partner uses a computer, take a photo of the two of you and get it scanned at a print shop (or scan it at home) and store it on disk as a .bmp file.
Transfer the file onto your partner's computer and set the image as the computer's wallpaper.
To do this on a Windows machine, select Start / Settings / Control Panel / Display. Choose the Background tab and click the Browse button to find your .bmp file.
IDEA # 91
If you are artistically inclined, do a life drawing course, practice until you are confident and then ask your partner to pose for you.
IDEA # 92
Take your partner to a carnival or festival. Try the following:
(1) Food festival
(2) Jazz festival
(3) Wine festival
(4) Music festival
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IDEA # 93
Develop a video time capsule. Start with the two of you sitting together on a couch introducing the video. Say something like, "It is currently July 14th 2002. We have decided to make this video so that we can watch it together on our 25th wedding anniversary."
Then have a section where you talk to the camera by yourself, telling the camera how you feel about your partner and why you love her. Get her to do the same thing. When you are done, place the video in a bank vault and on your 25th wedding anniversary you will be able to look back in time and reminisce about everything that you have shared.
IDEA # 94
If you are in a secluded spot near a beach or lake and the weather is warm, go for an impromptu skinny dip with your partner.
IDEA # 95
This one is great for long distance relationships. It takes a bit of organization but if you can pull it off, it is sure to be a surprise that your partner will never forget. Organize to catch up with her regularly over the internet using either a chat room or an Instant Messenger program. Then arrange a secret trip to meet her without telling her that you’re coming.
When it comes time for your usual chat over the Net, arrange for a close friend back home to log on using your nickname while you position yourself outside her door. Phone your friend on your mobile and be speaking to him in real time. Tell him to type in the following sentence, “I really miss you honey, I wish I could be there and just reach out and knock on your door.” As soon as he has sent the message, knock on the door!
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IDEA # 96
Buy your partner a gold fish in a bowl and give it to her with a card saying,
“Of all the fish in the sea,
you're the fish for me!”
IDEA # 97
Go for a drive either early in the morning or at dusk. Get a CD/tape that contains sounds of nature such as Sounds Of the Rainforest and play it as you hold your partner's hand and drive.
IDEA # 98
The day before your partner's birthday buy some helium balloons, streamers and flowers and hide them in a closet.
When your partner has fallen asleep, string the streamers around the room and bring out the balloons and flowers. Place them around the bed so that your partner wakes up to a real birthday surprise.
IDEA # 99
Spend a leisurely afternoon with your partner in a large book shop such as Borders where you can browse the shelves, share a coffee and sit down to peruse your purchases.
IDEA # 100
If you can afford it, hire a sports car for a weekend. Pick up your partner and give her a long white cashmere scarf to wear with her sunglasses. Go for a drive along the coast with the top down.
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IDEA # 101
Serve your partner breakfast in bed. Try the following:
(1) A poached egg in the shape of a heart - you can pick up a heart shaped poacher at most shops that sell kitchen wares.
(2) French toast with cinnamon and maple syrup.
(3) Cereal.
(4) Fruit juice.
(5) A fresh flower.
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What you ABSOLUTELY MUST know about the person you are with. This ebook also comes with a free 300 Days of Questions e-course. www.questionsforcouples.com
Have you ever had a dull date? No more. This book features nearly 6 years worth of creative date nights. Tips on first dates and asking someone out for a date too. www.300creativedates.com
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
Hundreds of fun, creative, inventive and wild tips to spice things up. Written in Michael’s typical, classy style – none of the material is raunchy, immoral or in bad taste. Includes over a dozen lovemaking positions to try out. www.500lovemakingtips.com
Less than 1% of marriages rate themselves as “blissful.” What are the secrets of the most successful marriages? www.50secrets.com
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The most popular book on proposal ideas. Over 100 winning stories - photographs included. www.howtoproposemarriage.com
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
A sequel to Michael’s wildly popular 50 Secrets of Blissful Relationships. Contains many more insightful tips and advice by one of the world’s most trusted relationship experts. www.50secrets.com
This #1 best-seller has been called the "Bible of Romance." Packed with over 200 pages of creative and inexpensive ideas on ideas for gifts, dates, celebrations and ways to say "I love you". Sold in bookstores everywhere including Amazon.com
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
101 ROMANTIC IDEAS
by Michael Webb, Founder, TheRomantic.com
IDEA # 1
If your partner is going away for a few days, tell her that you are worried about her so you have organized a bodyguard to look after her. Then give her a small teddy bear.
IDEA # 2
Buy a packet of glow in the dark stars and stick the stars on the roof above your bed to spell out a message such as "I Love You" When the lights go down, your message will be revealed!
IDEA # 3
On a special occasion, buy your partner eleven real red roses and one artificial red rose. Place the artificial rose in the center of the bouquet.
Attach a card that says:
“I will love you until the last rose fades.”
IDEA # 4
Buy the domain name of your partner's name if it is available for example www.TanyaJohnston.com. Create a web page containing a romantic poem and a picture of a rose. When your partner is surfing the web, casually ask whether she has ever checked to see whether her domain name is taken. Let her type it in to discover her page.
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IDEA # 5
Buy a stylish hand mirror and give it to your partner as a gift. Include a card in the box saying
“In this mirror you will see the image of
the most beautiful woman in the world.”
IDEA # 6
Take a book that your partner is reading and using a pencil, underline letters in a section of the book she has yet to read to spell out a love letter. For example in the following exert from a novel, the underlined letters come together to spell out the secret message "I love you"
The palace was a labyrinth, their passage through it tortuous and interminable. Initially they passed from building to building under the sodden sky. Steve's feet ached; he might have laughed at himself, the tireless traveler, grown too soft from his months in the city to walk any proper distance. Abruptly the guards halted.
The underlined letters will make your partner curious and with a bit of luck she will write them down. Spend time to encode a proper message such as "Dear Belinda, I love you honey"
IDEA # 7
Have flowers delivered to your partner's workplace. She will not only enjoy the flowers but will also receive comments and attention from her office mates which will add to her enjoyment.
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IDEA # 8
While walking with your partner on a weekend getaway, pick up a smooth stone and say that you're going to keep it as a special memento of your trip. Later, have a message such as
"I Love Rebecca"
engraved into the stone by a jeweler and give it to your partner.
IDEA # 9
Drive into the country, find a grassy hill and lie with your partner and look up at the clouds.
Play the kid’s game of looking for shapes in the cloud formations.
IDEA # 10
Get a piece of paper and some crayons. Draw a bright childlike picture with a smiley sun and two stick figures holding hands. Add labels with your two names pointing to the stick figures. Write "I Love You" inside a heart.
Next get a large formal envelope. Place your drawing inside and type up a formal address label of your partner's work such as:
For the immediate and urgent attention of:
Rebecca Jones
Level 20
Collins & Smith Solicitors
New York
Mail it to your partner so she receives it in the middle of a busy day.
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IDEA # 11
Memorize one of Shakespeare's love sonnets and recite it to your partner when you are in a romantic setting like a botanical garden. Don't just suddenly start reciting poetry as this will just sound corny.
While you are cuddling your partner, ask in a joking manner, "So is now a good time to recite a love poem to you?" She will probably say yes, expecting you to come up with something of the "Roses are Red..." variety.
Instead, look into her eyes, smile and recite the sonnet while you gently stroke her face. Try the sonnet below. If this is too long, just memorize the first four lines and the last two.
Shakespeare Love Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest,
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
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IDEA # 12
If your partner has to work late, take a lunch box and fill it with some of her favorite things such as chocolates, herbal tea, cookies, a small teddy bear.
Next, get a piece of paper and write
"Michelle's Late Night Survival Pack"
Draw a big red cross below this and stick the paper to the top of the box. Tell your partner to open the box when things get really tough.
IDEA # 13
If you are walking by a park, visit the swings and give your partner a ride. This will often bring back happy memories from her childhood.
IDEA # 14
Leave a long stem rose where your partner will find it with a note on it saying:
"Thank you for coming into my life."
IDEA # 15
If your partner is starting a new job, buy a copy of "The Sound Of Music" sound track. Tape the song, "I Have Confidence" onto a tape and add your own message at the end of the song saying,
"Good Luck honey, I have confidence in you."
Give the tape to your partner to play on the way to work in the car.
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IDEA # 16
Buy a small decorated cardboard box, a sheet of colored tissue paper, some massage oil and a blank card.
Line the box with the tissue paper. Place the massage oil in the box and write the following message on the card:
I know a great Masseur.
For an appointment ring:
(Your Phone Number)
IDEA # 17
When your spouse has had a really long hard day, run a hot bath for her. Pour some fragrant bath oil into the tub and gently bathe her from head to toe. Carry her into the bedroom. Gently towel her dry and tuck her into a freshly made bed with a kiss on the forehead.
IDEA # 18
For this idea you will need a portable CD player. If you and your partner have a favorite song, get a copy of it on CD and take it with you when you go away for a romantic weekend.
When you are in a romantic spot, ask your partner if she would like to dance. Place one earpiece in her ear and one in your own and enjoy your private dance floor.
This technique is particularly effective if the romantic spot you have chosen is somewhere where people would not normally dance, for example, the top of the Empire State building at sunset or on top of a mountain during a camping trip.
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IDEA # 19
If your partner has a pet that she adores, at Christmas, in addition to buying a gift for your partner, buy a small present for her pet.
IDEA # 20
Go for a walk on the beach. Trace out the shape of a large love heart in the sand. Sit inside the heart and cuddle your partner as you watch the sun go down.
IDEA # 21
Invite your partner to go for a walk. Get a back pack and pack the following items: A picnic blanket, a selection of fruit in small containers eg. strawberries, grapes, watermelon and kiwi fruit. Some cheese and crackers. Some sandwiches. A small tin of caviar. A half bottle of champagne and two plastic champagne glasses. If your partner asks what's in the backpack, just say a jacket and some lunch.
When you find a romantic spot, ask if she would like to stop for a bite to eat. Open your pack and remove the items one by one to set up your picnic. The last item you remove should be the glasses and champagne.
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IDEA # 22
If you play a musical instrument, create a romantic environment in which to play for your partner. For example, let's say you play the saxophone. Contact your partner's roommate and arrange for her to make sure that your partner steps out onto the balcony of their apartment at exactly 9.30pm.
Drive to her apartment and set up before hand. Place a large sparkler in the music holder of your sax and light it as your partner steps on to the balcony. Play something slow and romantic.
IDEA # 23
Use this idea if your partner is going to work and you are staying at home for some reason (Perhaps you are sick or are working from home).
Say goodbye to her at the front door and then immediately send an email to her work address. The email should simply say,
"Miss you already".
The email will be in her in-box when she does her morning email check.
IDEA # 24
If your partner has long hair, take the time to brush it using long slow strokes. This is particularly effective after she has had a shower or when she is getting ready for bed.
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IDEA # 25
On a special occasion like your partner's birthday, plan a treasure hunt for her. The fun begins when you suggest going for a walk on the beach.
When you get to the beach, carry a small bag with you. The bag contains a bottle that you prepared earlier. Inside the bottle is a treasure map. To make the treasure map look authentic, burn the edges with a match.
As you are walking, slip the bottle out of your bag and let it drop to the sand near the water's edge. You may have to pause and kiss your partner to do this unnoticed. Walk a little further up the beach then turn around and retrace your steps to 'discover' the bottle.
On the map have a dotted line leading from the beach to a nearby cafe. At the cafe, your partner won't know what to look for so suggest that you just sit down and have a cup of coffee.
When the waitress delivers the coffee, she suggests to your partner that she might find what she is looking for under the coaster. When your partner turns over the coaster she finds a key taped to the bottom. Obviously you will have to set this up before hand with the waitress. Most waitresses will be happy to help a romantic guy out with this type of thing.
At the next stop on the map, your partner finds or is given a spade. Then at the last stop on the map your partner finds a large 'X' made up of two crossed sticks. She digs and discovers a locked box. The key unlocks the box to reveal her present.
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IDEA # 26
Invite your partner on a date by sending her a plain brown envelope containing a tape. On the tape, record the Mission Impossible sound track and then record yourself saying, “Your mission if you choose to accept it is to make your way to Café Venoli, 123 Park Lane at 18.30 Eastern Standard Time. There you will rendezvous with a stunningly attractive man wearing a red carnation. The future of the free world is now in your hands. This tape will self destruct in five seconds.” Then record ten beeps from a stopwatch and record yourself saying, “Would you believe ten seconds…” Its corny but it usually gets a laugh!
IDEA # 27
Contact your partner's family and ask if there was anything she always wanted when she was a little girl.
For example if she always wanted a porcelain doll, buy one for her birthday. She will not only appreciate the gift but also the fact that you were thoughtful enough to find out what she always wanted.
IDEA # 28
Organize a professional photo shoot to obtain a portrait of the two of you as a couple. Frame the picture and put it somewhere prominent. Remember to make sure you give your partner plenty of notice so that she can get ready.
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IDEA # 29
Write a note saying
"I thought of you today, and it made me smile."
Leave the note somewhere where your partner is sure to find it.
IDEA # 30
For Valentines Day, buy your partner a charm bracelet with at least 14 charms.
Remove all the charms and let your partner 'find' one charm each day for the first fourteen days of February. On Valentines Day give her the bracelet and any remaining charms.
IDEA # 31
When you and your partner are in a shopping center or airport, stop at one of those booths that allow you to take an instant photo and print them out as stickers.
Choose a romantic background and kiss your partner while the photo is being taken.
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IDEA # 32
If your partner has voice mail at work or on her mobile, leave a message saying
"Just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you."
She will appreciate this anytime but especially when she is going through a rough period.
IDEA # 33
Organize a mystery trip for you and your partner. Some travel agents will organize mystery packages where the destination of the trip is kept secret until you are actually on the plane or arrive at the destination.
IDEA # 34
Buy some rose petals and place them behind the sun visor on the passenger side of your car. Take a post it note and write, "I Love You" on it and stick it to the back of the sun visor.
As you are driving to a romantic destination, look at your partner and tell her she has a mark on her cheek. She will pull down the sun visor to use the mirror and be showered in rose petals and see your note.
IDEA # 35
If your partner is going on a trip, pack a small present into the corner of her suitcase that she will find when she is away.
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IDEA # 36
When you and your partner are having an anniversary, buy two champagne glasses and get them engraved with your names and the date, for example:
Mal and Kate
7 May 2002
Go to the restaurant where you have made your reservations and request that when you and your partner arrive that your champagne be served in your special glasses. This will be a great surprise for your partner and a wonderful keepsake for you both.
IDEA # 37
On a special occasion such as your partner's birthday, buy twenty-four red roses. Arrange to meet her at a specific spot in a shopping mall before going out for dinner. Get to the shopping mall early and position yourself around the corner from your meeting spot.
Ask a guy who is walking by whether he would mind helping you out. Give him a rose, point out your partner and ask him to walk up to her and say, "Happy Birthday Meagan" and give her the rose and then walk away. Repeat this with eleven other guys. Choose guys who are not too good looking and choose guys of different ages. A nice touch is to have the last rose delivered by a small child who could even by accompanied by his parents.
After the first twelve flowers have been delivered, approach your partner with the twelve remaining roses.
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IDEA # 38
Always listen for things that your partner reminisces about and jot them down somewhere. For example, perhaps she talks about the ice cream that she had from a particular shop when she was a little girl.
When a special occasion comes along, check your list of things that your partner talks about and try to recreate one of them, for example, visit the shop and buy a tub of ice cream making sure that the name of the shop is on the container.
IDEA # 39
Create a love montage by collecting some photographs of you and your partner, some ticket stubs of places you have visited and any other small odds and ends that have special meaning to you both.
Take these items and get them professionally framed in a three dimensional montage. Alternatively, buy a frame and create a simple montage yourself.
IDEA # 40
Buy an ornately carved wooden box which is lined with green or red felt. Find an old fashioned key and place it in the box.
Next, get a small gold plaque and have it engraved with the words
The Key To My Heart
Fix the plaque to the inside of the top of the box so that it can be read when the box is opened.
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IDEA # 41
Buy a tree with your partner and plant it in a special spot. Each year on your anniversary, have a glass of champagne next to your tree and talk about how your love and the tree have grown.
IDEA # 42
If you shower first in the morning. Steam up the bathroom and write a message such as "Pete Loves Kathy" on the mirror for your partner to read when she uses the bathroom. This also works on car windows when it's cold.
IDEA # 43
As a special gift, name a Star after your partner. A number of astronomical agencies allow individuals to name stars and you receive formal documentation identifying the star that you have named. See the following website for details:
http://www.theromantic.com/gifts.htm
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IDEA # 44
Find a comic strip that relates to something that you and your partner have shared together, for example perhaps you both work in the same office and you find a Dilbert cartoon that relates to the politics at your workplace.
Enlarge the cartoon using a photocopier and use white-out to cover the cartoon text. Type up your own text that relates to you and your partner and paste it in the appropriate places and then photocopy the cartoon again so that it looks like your text was the actual text of the cartoon.
For an added touch, get your customized cartoon laminated before giving it to your partner.
IDEA # 45
When you and your partner are enjoying a restful time away, organize to wake up early one morning and go to a scenic spot to watch the sun rise.
This may seem difficult but it is something which is definitely worth doing at least once. Seeing a new day being born is something really special to share with your partner.
IDEA # 46
When you have access to a spa, create a romantic atmosphere by placing some candles around the tub and some rose petals floating on the surface of the water.
As your partner enjoys the water, serve champagne and chocolate covered strawberries before joining her.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 47
Create some love coupons that your partner can exchange for romantic favors.
For example you could have a coupon that reads
This coupon entitles the bearer to:
One Foot Massage.
Use by 07/08/2045
Use a date many years in the future if you want to suggest that you and your partner will always be together. Get 50 love coupons at this site: http://www.theromantic.com/lovecoupons.htm
IDEA # 48
On a warm summers night, organize a backyard picnic. Spread a picnic blanket on the ground and get together some snacks, chocolates and champagne. Lie down on the blanket with your partner and gaze up at the stars together.
IDEA # 49
Next time it is raining really heavily, go for a walk with your partner. Forget the umbrellas and the raincoats. Run through the streets together, jump in puddles and get totally saturated.
Pick her up, twirl her around and kiss her while the rain falls. Taste the water off her face and hold her close.
When you get back home have a hot shower and then share a warm drink preferably in front of an open fire.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 50
Organize a hot air ballooning trip as a special surprise. Most trips begin with a glass of champagne before you float over the countryside with your partner.
IDEA # 51
When your partner is sitting at a table or desk, come up behind him or her and give her a back, shoulder and head massage. Finish with a gentle kiss on the cheek.
IDEA # 52
Place an ad in the paper on a normal day saying something like:
Dear Amanda,
With you by my side, everyday
feels like Valentines Day.
Thank you for being you.
Love,
Graham
IDEA # 53
Buy a book that you and your partner are both interested in reading.
Read one chapter each night in bed with each of you taking turns to read out loud.
This can be a great alternative to television.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 54
When your partner is having a shower or bath, take her towel and place it in the dryer to make it really warm and then wrap her up in it when she is done.
IDEA # 55
Photocopy your hand and fax a copy of it to your partner with a message saying, "Do ya wanna hold hands?"
IDEA # 56
Next time you order a pizza, ask to have it cut into a heart shape before it is delivered to your home.
IDEA # 57
Buy a box of chocolates and very carefully open one side of the plastic wrap so that you can gently slide the box out. Open the box and place a love note inside. Then slide the box back into its plastic wrap and reseal it.
IDEA # 58
Rent a tandem bike and go for a ride with your partner. At the end of your ride have a picnic in the park.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 59
If you are away on a business trip, document a day in your life for your partner. For example:
'A Day In The Life Of Mark'
6am: Just woke up and thought of you - Wish you were laying next to me. Well, I better get ready for work.
7am: Am on the train. It's crowded; everyone looks like they are half dead. I miss ya heaps.
8.30am: Have just organized my day, it's going to be a busy one.
9.30am: Am in the middle of a really boring meeting. I am trying to concentrate on this months sales figures but I keep thinking of your beautiful eyes.
...
6.30pm: Thank goodness the day is over. I am counting the days until we’re together again.
Send your letter to your partner. This is a wonderful way to tell your partner how often you think about her during the day and to share your life with her in a special way.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 60
Speak to your partner's family and find out what her favorite book was when she was a little girl.
Buy a copy of the book and read it to her in bed.
IDEA # 61
Write an email story with your partner. Start the ball rolling with an email that says something like:
Chapter 1:
This is the story of Pete and Kate who met at a friend's engagement party one summer afternoon.
The email can then continue to develop the beginnings of a story which can be completely fictitious or a combination of fiction and reality.
Finish your email by saying, "And now for Chapter 2, its over to you..."
IDEA # 62
Buy a kite and on a windy day find a park and fly the kite with your partner.
If you can afford it, buy a large kite that you control with two hand lines. These kites are great fun.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 63
When you and your partner are planning to go out for dinner, suggest that you have an 'Adventure Dinner'. Here's how it works
Set the timer on your stopwatch to count down twenty minutes. Next, ask your partner to choose a number between 5 and 10. Lets say she chooses 7.
Give your partner a coin and tell her that at every 7th intersection, she has to flip the coin. If it is heads you will turn left. If it is tails you will turn right. When your watch timer goes off you have to both keep a look out for the nearest place to eat.
This is a fun way to get out and about and try new places to eat.
IDEA # 64
When you and your partner are going somewhere special, get your camera, buy a new roll of film and wait for her to come out of the house.
When she appears, act like a professional photographer and go wild taking pictures of her with the flash. While you are taking photos, bombard her with questions as though she was a famous actress and you are trying to get a scoop for the magazine you represent.
Not only is this fun but you will also get some great photos to look back on together.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 65
When your partner is sick at home, take a day off to look after her.
Rent some videos, make her some soup, wrap her up in a blanket and just be with her.
IDEA # 66
When you are having dinner one night, ask your partner about the things she has always wanted to do.
Later on, write these things down so you don't forget them and over time try and help make them happen. For example she may say that one thing she has always wanted to do is swim with dolphins. Find out where she can do this and organize it for her as a special surprise.
IDEA # 67
Rent the video, "An Affair To Remember". Buy some popcorn, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries and have a special film night at home.
IDEA # 68
Go to the drive in but instead of sitting in the car, spread a picnic blanket on the ground. Light a candle and buy popcorn. Cuddle your partner and enjoy the film.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 69
Create a personalized magazine cover for your partner. To do this, get hold of a good quality photo of her and a copy of a popular entertainment magazine.
Take these two items to a print shop or graphic design agency. Ask them to scan your partner's photo and develop a magazine cover with the lead story being, "The 30 most beautiful women of 2003".
When you get the cover, stick it on the front of a real magazine and ask your local shop owner whether you can place it in the magazine rack. Organize to meet your partner at the shop before going out. When she arrives, tell her that you are just looking for a magazine. Let her browse the rack and discover her magazine.
IDEA # 70
Fill the trunk of your car with helium balloons. Drive to a romantic spot in the country to go for a walk. The ideal spot is somewhere up high with a clear view of the surrounding countryside.
Get out of the car and act as though you are about to set off for your walk. Make sure your partner is closer to the car than you and then throw her the keys and ask if she can get your jacket from the trunk while you tie your shoelace.
When she opens the boot the balloons will be released. You can also place a sign saying, "I Love You" on the inside of the trunk so that it will be revealed when the trunk opens.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 71
On a special occasion create a unique present for your partner by buying two white t-shirts and some fabric paint. Draw half a heart and the letters LO on one t-shirt and the half a heart and the letters VE on the other t-shirt.
When you walk down the street holding each other close, the heart will be made whole and your message of love revealed.
An example is shown below.
IDEA # 72
On a hot summers day, buy two large water pistols and take them to the beach with you.
Pull them out and throw one to your partner and then have a huge water fight.
IDEA # 73
Share your food with your partner. When you go out for a meal, hold a forkful up to her mouth and say, "You've got to try this."
Sharing your food and even feeding each other is a great way to become closer as a couple.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 74
Compliment your partner in public. If you are talking in a group and it is appropriate to the conversation say something like, "Kate makes the most incredible roast." Squeeze her hand while you are talking about her.
IDEA # 75
Arrange a special day off from work. Start with breakfast, go for a walk in the park, go shopping, have afternoon tea in a cozy cafe and finish off with a romantic dinner.
IDEA # 76
Buy a gift voucher for a facial at a local beauty clinic and place it in a card accompanied by the message,
A special treat for
someone special
IDEA # 77
Even if you are just going down the road to buy some milk, act as though you are returning home after a major adventure.
Say something like, "Well it was touch and go there for a while with the snow and the wolves but I made it!" and then give your partner a huge bear hug.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 78
Send your partner a thank-you note. For example:
Dear Bec,
Thanks for helping me move house.
Having you there made a huge difference.
I really appreciate your help and your love.
Tim
IDEA # 79
If you have kids, organize for them to stay at their grandparents for the weekend.
On Friday evening, announce that the weekend is yours and start planning how you are going to spend your special time together.
IDEA # 80
Give your partner a magic gift box. Every month, place a new small gift in the box for her to discover.
IDEA # 81
Research your partner's favorite hobby and identify a gift that is really useful for her. The more specialized the gift the more impact it will have. Talk to her friends and family and use the Net to find the information you need.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 82
Go to a masquerade ball. Send an invitation to your partner telling her to meet you at a specific spot at the stroke of eight.
Wear a mask and when you meet her, don't say a word. Just take her hand and lead her on to the dance floor.
IDEA # 83
On Thursday, ask your partner to pack a bag for the weekend. Tell her she'll need casual clothes and walking shoes but don't tell her what you have got planned.
Pick her up after work on Friday and drive to a romantic bed and breakfast for a romantic weekend of relaxation.
IDEA # 84
When you are relaxing at home one night, take two large sheets of paper and some pencils or crayons. On each piece of paper, draw the outline of a large crystal ball sitting on a stand.
Tell your partner to look into her crystal ball and draw what she sees five years in the future. Do the same thing yourself and then come together to share and discuss your drawings.
IDEA # 85
Create a loving nickname for your partner. This could be the name she was called by her family when she was a little girl or something that is special just for the two of you.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 86
If you are musically inclined, write a love song for your partner. Call it something like "Natasha's Song".
Produce a professional looking manuscript, print it out and get it framed. Record your song onto CD and take a photo of your partner and get a print shop to create a CD cover if you can’t create one on your computer.
Place the framed manuscript and the CD in a box and give it to your partner as a special gift.
IDEA # 87
Pick your partner up for a date and blindfold her before driving to a special destination.
Try to make the destination something really unexpected like a table set up at the top of a cliff or a dinner on a boat or old-fashioned ship. It needs to be something that will have an impact when she removes the blindfold.
IDEA # 88
Have a really big pillow fight. Set up for it by buying two pillows that are filled with feathers. Put holes in the pillows so the feathers will start to fly and then attack your partner when you feel the time is right.
IDEA # 89
Get out into the great outdoors. After a day of hiking, build an open fire. Sit by the fire with your partner, toast marshmallows and watch as the embers of the fire climb into the night sky.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 90
If your partner uses a computer, take a photo of the two of you and get it scanned at a print shop (or scan it at home) and store it on disk as a .bmp file.
Transfer the file onto your partner's computer and set the image as the computer's wallpaper.
To do this on a Windows machine, select Start / Settings / Control Panel / Display. Choose the Background tab and click the Browse button to find your .bmp file.
IDEA # 91
If you are artistically inclined, do a life drawing course, practice until you are confident and then ask your partner to pose for you.
IDEA # 92
Take your partner to a carnival or festival. Try the following:
(1) Food festival
(2) Jazz festival
(3) Wine festival
(4) Music festival
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 93
Develop a video time capsule. Start with the two of you sitting together on a couch introducing the video. Say something like, "It is currently July 14th 2002. We have decided to make this video so that we can watch it together on our 25th wedding anniversary."
Then have a section where you talk to the camera by yourself, telling the camera how you feel about your partner and why you love her. Get her to do the same thing. When you are done, place the video in a bank vault and on your 25th wedding anniversary you will be able to look back in time and reminisce about everything that you have shared.
IDEA # 94
If you are in a secluded spot near a beach or lake and the weather is warm, go for an impromptu skinny dip with your partner.
IDEA # 95
This one is great for long distance relationships. It takes a bit of organization but if you can pull it off, it is sure to be a surprise that your partner will never forget. Organize to catch up with her regularly over the internet using either a chat room or an Instant Messenger program. Then arrange a secret trip to meet her without telling her that you’re coming.
When it comes time for your usual chat over the Net, arrange for a close friend back home to log on using your nickname while you position yourself outside her door. Phone your friend on your mobile and be speaking to him in real time. Tell him to type in the following sentence, “I really miss you honey, I wish I could be there and just reach out and knock on your door.” As soon as he has sent the message, knock on the door!
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 96
Buy your partner a gold fish in a bowl and give it to her with a card saying,
“Of all the fish in the sea,
you're the fish for me!”
IDEA # 97
Go for a drive either early in the morning or at dusk. Get a CD/tape that contains sounds of nature such as Sounds Of the Rainforest and play it as you hold your partner's hand and drive.
IDEA # 98
The day before your partner's birthday buy some helium balloons, streamers and flowers and hide them in a closet.
When your partner has fallen asleep, string the streamers around the room and bring out the balloons and flowers. Place them around the bed so that your partner wakes up to a real birthday surprise.
IDEA # 99
Spend a leisurely afternoon with your partner in a large book shop such as Borders where you can browse the shelves, share a coffee and sit down to peruse your purchases.
IDEA # 100
If you can afford it, hire a sports car for a weekend. Pick up your partner and give her a long white cashmere scarf to wear with her sunglasses. Go for a drive along the coast with the top down.
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
IDEA # 101
Serve your partner breakfast in bed. Try the following:
(1) A poached egg in the shape of a heart - you can pick up a heart shaped poacher at most shops that sell kitchen wares.
(2) French toast with cinnamon and maple syrup.
(3) Cereal.
(4) Fruit juice.
(5) A fresh flower.
Books By Michael Webb:
What you ABSOLUTELY MUST know about the person you are with. This ebook also comes with a free 300 Days of Questions e-course. www.questionsforcouples.com
Have you ever had a dull date? No more. This book features nearly 6 years worth of creative date nights. Tips on first dates and asking someone out for a date too. www.300creativedates.com
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
Hundreds of fun, creative, inventive and wild tips to spice things up. Written in Michael’s typical, classy style – none of the material is raunchy, immoral or in bad taste. Includes over a dozen lovemaking positions to try out. www.500lovemakingtips.com
Less than 1% of marriages rate themselves as “blissful.” What are the secrets of the most successful marriages? www.50secrets.com
Unknowingly, the most way people have been taught to date actually destroys relationships. If you want to find a perfect partner and date the right way towards marriage, you must read this. www.datingbible.com
The most popular book on proposal ideas. Over 100 winning stories - photographs included. www.howtoproposemarriage.com
TheRomantic.com 101 Romantic Ideas
A sequel to Michael’s wildly popular 50 Secrets of Blissful Relationships. Contains many more insightful tips and advice by one of the world’s most trusted relationship experts. www.50secrets.com
This #1 best-seller has been called the "Bible of Romance." Packed with over 200 pages of creative and inexpensive ideas on ideas for gifts, dates, celebrations and ways to say "I love you". Sold in bookstores everywhere including Amazon.com
Ideas And Business Opportunities
The following is a guest post from Stuart Mourant.
Suart is a personal trainer I met when at the gym I joined earlier this year. I spent quite a lot of time talking to Stuart whilst I was in the gym, sometimes about training, mostly about business.
Recently Stuart has been looking to expand his horizons and has as a result begun to explore a new business opportunity, here’s what he has to say about it…
I was introduced to Aloe Vera health and wellness based products a little over four months ago. To be honest I found it hard to believe that a green spiky looking plant would be able to fulfil the hype that seemed to be surrounding it. But as I had been introduced by a trusted Mentor of mine who had been using the products for sometime himself I thought I would give it a go. So when I woke on the first day of my Aloe experiment I stared at the straw coloured gel in the glass and unsure of what to expect knocked it back ? I wont get away with the words that came to mind to describe the taste but within a few seconds the taste had subsided and I went about my day waiting for a miraculous transformation. I continued with this daily ritual for the next three days and on the fifth day it suddenly occurred to me that the bloated feeling that had plagued me for a number of years after eating had completely disappeared. Also over the next few days a number of friends & clients commented on how clear my skin was looking and i soon had many family, friends & clients also wanting to try the products (which range from drinking gels & vitamin supplements to tooth gels & make up).
So this leads me the business opportunity…….
If you are self motivated, open minded, committed, enthusiastic team worker, that enjoys networking with people and have the desire to live a more comfortable lifestyle with the freedom to choose your hours then this opportunity offers you the chance to work for yourself. The start up cost is under £200 and includes the full support of a highly successful international company using, recommending and distributing Aloe Vera based wellness and beauty products with the full support of a company with over 30 years experience that are so sure of their products offer a full 60 day money back guarantee. I have been very happy with the support and guidance of all involved and within two months had already started making steps up the marketing plan with a promotion to supervisor. I enjoy the freedom it has given me and also the feeling of working with a great team of successful people who are always happy to help you achieve your personal goals.
Suart is a personal trainer I met when at the gym I joined earlier this year. I spent quite a lot of time talking to Stuart whilst I was in the gym, sometimes about training, mostly about business.
Recently Stuart has been looking to expand his horizons and has as a result begun to explore a new business opportunity, here’s what he has to say about it…
I was introduced to Aloe Vera health and wellness based products a little over four months ago. To be honest I found it hard to believe that a green spiky looking plant would be able to fulfil the hype that seemed to be surrounding it. But as I had been introduced by a trusted Mentor of mine who had been using the products for sometime himself I thought I would give it a go. So when I woke on the first day of my Aloe experiment I stared at the straw coloured gel in the glass and unsure of what to expect knocked it back ? I wont get away with the words that came to mind to describe the taste but within a few seconds the taste had subsided and I went about my day waiting for a miraculous transformation. I continued with this daily ritual for the next three days and on the fifth day it suddenly occurred to me that the bloated feeling that had plagued me for a number of years after eating had completely disappeared. Also over the next few days a number of friends & clients commented on how clear my skin was looking and i soon had many family, friends & clients also wanting to try the products (which range from drinking gels & vitamin supplements to tooth gels & make up).
So this leads me the business opportunity…….
If you are self motivated, open minded, committed, enthusiastic team worker, that enjoys networking with people and have the desire to live a more comfortable lifestyle with the freedom to choose your hours then this opportunity offers you the chance to work for yourself. The start up cost is under £200 and includes the full support of a highly successful international company using, recommending and distributing Aloe Vera based wellness and beauty products with the full support of a company with over 30 years experience that are so sure of their products offer a full 60 day money back guarantee. I have been very happy with the support and guidance of all involved and within two months had already started making steps up the marketing plan with a promotion to supervisor. I enjoy the freedom it has given me and also the feeling of working with a great team of successful people who are always happy to help you achieve your personal goals.
Business Ideas on a Budget
Whether you're starting a business on the side while still employed elsewhere, a student or homemaker looking for extra income, or unemployed and trying to figure out what to do, there are plenty of opportunities for you to start up a side business inexpensively. 1. Webpreneur It's what everyone who's ever surfed the Web dreams of—just stick a web site up there and watch the cash roll in! Then get a domain and create a web site. Last of all, set aside time every week to put new content on the site, delete dead links, and other maintenance.
Spend the $20 on: $8 or less for a domain (see our Online Business Guide's list of cheap domain name registrars) and $12 for a year of hosting2. ConsultantSpend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 buying your first prospect a cup of coffee one morning.
3. Housesitter / PetsitterParticularly since 9/11, people feel an increased need for security, and housesitting gives them some reassurance while they're out of town. Be sure to have personal references available, and you'll also need reliable transportation. If you're an animal lover, petsitting is an easy add-on. Spend the $20 on: $2 on flyers to put up on bulletin boards, and the rest on classified ads in your local neighborhood paper (not a big city-wide one).
4. Professional OrganizerWhile there is an ever-growing trend of people wanting to simplify their lives, most of us haven't done it yet. There's a prime opportunity for people to come in at a reasonable rate and get houses organized. Spend the $20 on: Classified ads
. 5. Avon Independent Sales RepresentativeCosmetics is a virtually recession-proof business, because it's an inexpensive way for people to feel good about themselves. Avon is the largest consumer direct sales company in the world, with annual sales of nearly $6 billion. In business for well over 100 years, they have both a highly reputable product line and one of the few highly reputable multi-level marketing structures (in fact, they invented it). They also offer fashion and wellness products in addition to their beauty products. Build your downline—just like with any other network marketing or direct selling business.
6. Personal Services - Shopping & ErrandsAgain, trustworthiness and dependability are the key traits for this. If your car's not reliable, pick something else. Also, you won't need cash, but you'll need available credit on your credit cards, since you really can't use theirs. Consider an American Express or a Diner's Club that don't have preset spending limits. Spend the $20 on: $1 on flyers and the rest on classified ads.
7. Desktop PublishingIt's amazing how many people have a computer and still don't know how to make a decent flyer! If you've got a good design sense, are extremely familiar with your word processor, and already have a laser or high-quality inkjet printer, you can get into desktop publishing. Create a really great-looking portfolio for yourself and go door-to-door. Spend the $20 on: Some high-quality paper to create your samples on.8. TutoringWith the growing dissatisfaction with our education system and the huge growth in homeschooling, there's an unprecedented need for tutors these days for kids of all ages—even adults! If you've got a topic you can tutor in, contact the local schools, particularly private ones, and local homeschool groups, and offer your services. Spend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 on flyers. 9. eBay SellerYes, there really are people who make a decent living buying things at garage sales and flea markets and selling them on eBay. The big secrets? Stick to products you know (or learn before you start) extremely well, package your goods carefully, and provide impeccable customer service. Spend the $20 on: Your first inventory at a garage sale. 10. Secretarial Service - Typing / Transcription / ProofreadingSpend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 on flyers. One last thing—beware of home-based business scams that require a substantial buy-in, such as envelope-stuffing or craft item assembly.
Spend the $20 on: $8 or less for a domain (see our Online Business Guide's list of cheap domain name registrars) and $12 for a year of hosting2. ConsultantSpend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 buying your first prospect a cup of coffee one morning.
3. Housesitter / PetsitterParticularly since 9/11, people feel an increased need for security, and housesitting gives them some reassurance while they're out of town. Be sure to have personal references available, and you'll also need reliable transportation. If you're an animal lover, petsitting is an easy add-on. Spend the $20 on: $2 on flyers to put up on bulletin boards, and the rest on classified ads in your local neighborhood paper (not a big city-wide one).
4. Professional OrganizerWhile there is an ever-growing trend of people wanting to simplify their lives, most of us haven't done it yet. There's a prime opportunity for people to come in at a reasonable rate and get houses organized. Spend the $20 on: Classified ads
. 5. Avon Independent Sales RepresentativeCosmetics is a virtually recession-proof business, because it's an inexpensive way for people to feel good about themselves. Avon is the largest consumer direct sales company in the world, with annual sales of nearly $6 billion. In business for well over 100 years, they have both a highly reputable product line and one of the few highly reputable multi-level marketing structures (in fact, they invented it). They also offer fashion and wellness products in addition to their beauty products. Build your downline—just like with any other network marketing or direct selling business.
6. Personal Services - Shopping & ErrandsAgain, trustworthiness and dependability are the key traits for this. If your car's not reliable, pick something else. Also, you won't need cash, but you'll need available credit on your credit cards, since you really can't use theirs. Consider an American Express or a Diner's Club that don't have preset spending limits. Spend the $20 on: $1 on flyers and the rest on classified ads.
7. Desktop PublishingIt's amazing how many people have a computer and still don't know how to make a decent flyer! If you've got a good design sense, are extremely familiar with your word processor, and already have a laser or high-quality inkjet printer, you can get into desktop publishing. Create a really great-looking portfolio for yourself and go door-to-door. Spend the $20 on: Some high-quality paper to create your samples on.8. TutoringWith the growing dissatisfaction with our education system and the huge growth in homeschooling, there's an unprecedented need for tutors these days for kids of all ages—even adults! If you've got a topic you can tutor in, contact the local schools, particularly private ones, and local homeschool groups, and offer your services. Spend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 on flyers. 9. eBay SellerYes, there really are people who make a decent living buying things at garage sales and flea markets and selling them on eBay. The big secrets? Stick to products you know (or learn before you start) extremely well, package your goods carefully, and provide impeccable customer service. Spend the $20 on: Your first inventory at a garage sale. 10. Secretarial Service - Typing / Transcription / ProofreadingSpend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 on flyers. One last thing—beware of home-based business scams that require a substantial buy-in, such as envelope-stuffing or craft item assembly.
Great ideas vs. confidence
The existence of a big idea or being confident that you have a great idea? Subjects were a group of up-and-coming business leaders gathered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to provide business plans to their peers.
Incentive was the promise that the best ideas will be recommended for funding. In the development of the first pilot here is that members of the group were not the only monitoring and evaluation of the Action Plan stadiums.
The device is designed specifically digital - a sociometer - was also monitored every show. The measure sociometer another channel of communication that works without the spoken language: our social development.
At the end of the meeting, and business leaders selected the ideas that they agreed would sell better. And here comes the second experimental evolution: The project will finance experts read business plans, but do not see live performances. Remember the other observer in the room - and sociometer? As it turned out, the sociometer was able to predict which business plans and the executives would choose exactly what is almost perfect. Sociometer both executives and managers (although they were not aware at the time) were busy measuring the social content of the offer, quite apart from the spoken word, the informational content. Clearly, the channel for social communication of science more than a final decision. While listening to the pitches, and executives and the collection of information is not disclosed, but critical, social, such as: How much does this person believe in this idea? This social information - information that is clearly not on the plans printed works - is what is the impact on the choices of executives of business plans to the maximum degree. When I read the finance experts in the action plans have been cut this sense of social decision, not to have to evaluate the plans on the basis of rational measures alone.
Unfortunately, research has shown that investments that are made without the "personal relationships" are more prone to failure. That is why venture capital firms usually invest only in companies that can visit the person regularly Lin, and why many investors pay more attention to face-to-face interaction among the founders of the company than it does to the plan of action in itself. One of the objectives of this current blog will be to explore the latest scientific research on this channel of social communication and its effects.
Incentive was the promise that the best ideas will be recommended for funding. In the development of the first pilot here is that members of the group were not the only monitoring and evaluation of the Action Plan stadiums.
The device is designed specifically digital - a sociometer - was also monitored every show. The measure sociometer another channel of communication that works without the spoken language: our social development.
At the end of the meeting, and business leaders selected the ideas that they agreed would sell better. And here comes the second experimental evolution: The project will finance experts read business plans, but do not see live performances. Remember the other observer in the room - and sociometer? As it turned out, the sociometer was able to predict which business plans and the executives would choose exactly what is almost perfect. Sociometer both executives and managers (although they were not aware at the time) were busy measuring the social content of the offer, quite apart from the spoken word, the informational content. Clearly, the channel for social communication of science more than a final decision. While listening to the pitches, and executives and the collection of information is not disclosed, but critical, social, such as: How much does this person believe in this idea? This social information - information that is clearly not on the plans printed works - is what is the impact on the choices of executives of business plans to the maximum degree. When I read the finance experts in the action plans have been cut this sense of social decision, not to have to evaluate the plans on the basis of rational measures alone.
Unfortunately, research has shown that investments that are made without the "personal relationships" are more prone to failure. That is why venture capital firms usually invest only in companies that can visit the person regularly Lin, and why many investors pay more attention to face-to-face interaction among the founders of the company than it does to the plan of action in itself. One of the objectives of this current blog will be to explore the latest scientific research on this channel of social communication and its effects.
Ideas and Business On The Internet
I do not think it can get much better than being at home and earn a living, and putting in the time you want to work, and work in whatever you want. Let alone to determine exactly what the money you're going to be deposited in your bank account from day to day. Being in your own home based business gives you the freedom to determine what or how many hours you are going to work, and the amount of time and effort you're going into your business. Many of the companies out there saying that you can get huge amounts of money in such a short period of time, do not do much to achieve this goal. Think about it for a second time, just sign up, kick back and do not do anything, and you will earn huge amounts of money. What they need you for? Very few people have made large sums of money on the Internet in a short time, I think so because most of them had a large following to begin with. Business opportunities on the Internet is the art of placing ads on the Internet and information to other companies to drive traffic to the site on the Internet and prospective customers to purchase products or services.
I was probably not a professional advertising agency and does not need training to become one. I would like to say that you are driving the right traffic to a specific location in order to make the sale. This takes a little skill, and knowledge of customers are expected will be specific to your business. To run your own business and will take a bit of work and a desire on your part with some training as well. You have to be disciplined enough to be able to complete your tasks within a period of time. This does not happen overnight, start your own business and you. It takes a great effort to get a home based business up and running, not to mention the effort it takes to recruit the right people. Lets face it, you're not looking for a Working Man salaries, and they were talking about an income sufficient to live and the lifestyle that you're after. More people that you can directly to your site, and more sales generated, to commit more than you make. Here is where you come in a large U.S., and how many billions of people out there who are looking for something, and you can grab their attention to the document sale.
If you're really sharp, and can you double and triple your commissions by finding and training people who share the same desire to live a life that only come from the business opportunities on the Internet. Once you start training their people, and guess what, there are in the power of residual income, and this is what you worked for. Now it's time to get out and enjoy your life.
I was probably not a professional advertising agency and does not need training to become one. I would like to say that you are driving the right traffic to a specific location in order to make the sale. This takes a little skill, and knowledge of customers are expected will be specific to your business. To run your own business and will take a bit of work and a desire on your part with some training as well. You have to be disciplined enough to be able to complete your tasks within a period of time. This does not happen overnight, start your own business and you. It takes a great effort to get a home based business up and running, not to mention the effort it takes to recruit the right people. Lets face it, you're not looking for a Working Man salaries, and they were talking about an income sufficient to live and the lifestyle that you're after. More people that you can directly to your site, and more sales generated, to commit more than you make. Here is where you come in a large U.S., and how many billions of people out there who are looking for something, and you can grab their attention to the document sale.
If you're really sharp, and can you double and triple your commissions by finding and training people who share the same desire to live a life that only come from the business opportunities on the Internet. Once you start training their people, and guess what, there are in the power of residual income, and this is what you worked for. Now it's time to get out and enjoy your life.
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