I find the story of "Hiccup Girl," as-is, to be quite sad. Too sad, I think, for use in a screen play.

Reading the article, I don't end up feeling "Hiccup Girl" has a marketable story. Don't get me wrong. For the fact that she has had to deal with such a bewildering malady, I feel sympathy. The hiccups essentially brought her life to a halt. Even so, she had lots of opportunities to get help with all the of medical and media attention that was focused on her. And with all that, she chose to turn to petty crime. And the crime itself is so badly planned that the threesome inadvertently kills a man they only intended to rob? I don't think that these facts in themselves make for a compelling story that a studio would want to finance. And in my own writing, I'd rather dwell on something more positive.

There are two successful TV shows that come to mind, "Dexter," and "The Wire."

In "Dexter," Jeff Lindsey focuses on a sliver of humanity in the character of a sociopath. He sets up a fascinating dialogue between the character's addictive need to perform murderous acts and his human attachment to family. Dexter cares about his sister, and we see his personality compared to even darker and more frightening murderers. In watching, I experience a tantalizing, even seductive hope of redemption that carries me into the next episode.

"The Wire" emerged from an exploration of disenfranchised drug addicts in "The Corner." David Simon explores the bewildering complexity of the stories of addicts, dealers, the police, politicians, and the teachers and writers whose lives are touched by the drug trade in Baltimore. Here again, even though Simon and the writing team don't seem to pose any solution, we can find humanity in even the most violent of characters. Witness the popularity of Omar Little, a character that makes a living by stealing from drug dealers. he is made human by his attachments to his lovers and his family.

I wonder, then, what might happen to "Hiccup Girl" in prison. Perhaps, bereft of the influence of a bad boyfriend and his associate, she discovers a source of inner strength. Now, that might make a good story. :-)