Many writers have day jobs in other fields, and that’s often where they come across their best material.
Case in point: The Lakewood Espresso Stand (near Tacoma) had been having problems with burglaries. The owner installed a pair of surveillance cameras.
He got great video of the next break-in attempt, but didn’t just turn it over to the police. Instead, he edited it into a howlingly hilarious YouTube video. In addition to doing some clever screenwriting, he provides a delightful voiceover that will be immediately familiar to anyone who has seen Pirates of the Caribbean. (And, you’ll have to admit, this particular burglar just handed the material to him on a platter.)
The lesson for those of us who write is never pass up great story material. (Thanks to Jeff Carlson for Twittering this tip.)