Would you watch a sitcom about homeless people?

True, but let me tell you I don't see much in the way of people with spending problems and I've been doing the Run for going on two years now. I'll probably write in someone with the issue, just to keep things fair.

I know I should write in at least one or two Crazy Homeless People, but really the idea makes me skittish. I'm not sure I know how to write mental illness just yet, and I don't want to play to stereotypes.

I don't want to strawman anyone. Everyone behaves a certain way for a reason. Even the douchebags who say homelessness is always, inherently the homeless person's fault, don't do it just to be douchebags, they act that way because they're uninformed.

I'm a big fan of radio shows, so I'll try to check out Opie & Anthony. Any show that uses Ennio Morricone as their opening music—"Ecstasy of Gold", no less, which is his best song by far—can't possibly be bad.

edited 3rd Mar '11 5:18:59 AM by Wackd

Well, by spending problems, I mean "would by a pair of designer sunglasses before buying a coat."

Also, you seem like a fairly sensitive person. I am sure if you ever did make a "crazy" homeless person, you would constantly be double-checking yourself. Which is good in the editorial process. Not so good in the end result (if it shows).

From what I can tell, most "crazy" homeless people , if accurately depicted in fiction, would turn into a case of Reality Is Unrealistic. So while you might want to avoid getting personalities and what else have you directly, you can probably take incidents you like and base things off of that.

Also, I am not a regular listener of Opie and Anthony, so I don't know any specifics of their homeless escapades, but you should theoretically be able to find the recordings online...I think.

edited 3rd Mar '11 8:01:19 AM by MrAHR

One thing to remember is most of the mental illnesses that tend to cause homeless cause copious amounts of paranoia (often how they became homeless is a desire to be off the radar of the government or whatnot), but don't generally make the person violent.

And their actions make sense within their warped view of reality. And most of them don't have highly-consistent beliefs, and don't realize if they're contradicting themselves or using Insane Troll Logic.

Plot bunny, probably one that occurred to you too: Anti-Climactic Parent.

I think maybe it might be interesting to have a character with a Multiple-Choice Past. A couple of the homeless people I've met are sort of like that.

You could have a crazy homeless person that the others are weirded out by.

Alternately, you could have the hilariously crazy prepared paranoid character who's got the whole paranoid tinfoil hat set up. I think that could be humourous without being unrealistic and insensitive.