Limited Inspiration!

I have been pondering one of the main issues within my film and how it can be resolved. I created shots that intertwine between each of the memories the character is having, that show the character writing "I love you" on a piece of paper. After each memory the character is seen to be getting more and more frustrated at himself and underlining and circling the words angrily. The point of these shots are to let the audience know that the awkward moments between the two characters result from the boys inability to tell the girl he loves her. This idea is perfectly okay, and could easily work. But is a little too boring, in my opinion. I know that there are other ways that I can portray the fact the boy is trying to speak - ways in which will be more original - I just cannot come up with one! There has been a few ideas, although I am still not 100% sure...

One idea would be one taken from [500] Days of Summer (Webb, 2009), the inspiration behind many aspects of my short film. This is the use of a split screen in order to show the characters expectations, and their reality - in my case being what would have happened if he had told the girl he loved her, and what really happened when he didn't. This is a nice idea, although I already have the rubbing out of the final memory and the re-drawing of the ideal ending at the end of my sequence, and I like this idea too much to get rid of it!

Another idea was for there to be a different way to portray what is happening in each memory. I came up with one for the lounge scene/memory for example. The boy could spell "I love you" out in alphabet spaghetti on toast, but drops it or changes his mind just before he hands it to her. This is an unconventional idea, although I am struggling to think of different things to do for the other two scenes, which would have to be related to washing up, and either playing Frisbee or having a picnic.

I thought of maybe keeping my original idea (writing, underling and circling the words on a page), except zooming out at the end to reveal that he has written this in a diary. The date he has written it in will turn out to be today's date in the present day (a clock or calender would be used to show this). He would then potentially collect a coat, take a deep breath and leave his house - insinuating that he had now gone off to tell the girl he loves her.  

The third idea is my favorite at the moment, although I am still holding out for a more original idea. I am going to leave it for now, and am hoping it will come to me whilst I am doing other things!