Ex-lit Forum A little help from my friends...

The very kind Viper has agreed to help me out of a dilemma and I was wondering if I could encroach on our friendships too?

 

An idea for a story that came about around the end of 2007 and got stuck because logically it was going to bump into too many impossible scenarios - has woken up and I would love to explore it further. I have no fiction experience and no idea how to proceed, but I realised that a recent movie success was actually an aspect of this story and as people seem to love "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" ...maybe I should let the tale complete itself and see what happens.

 

As all I have is a definate beginning, a vague end and no concept of the middle - Viper has agreed to bring his lovely logic and intelligence to help create its shape and purpose. What I would love from each of you is a 'bit' that will either be added, or at least contribute to the 'how' of the lives of the characters... there is no real character devlopment at this stage so blank pages are hoping for you to make a mark :)

 

Damn I take too long to reach a point!!

 

When and if you have the time, would you be able to write as much or as little as you like with the following in-mind:

 

After a cosmic occurrence the world has now reversed its rotation, each new day from now, the sun rises in the West and sets in the East and each day - you are a day younger. You will continue into youth until you die of no-age. The elderly will uravel from their wrinkles and the maladies of age and sadly our children will pass away before we do. The oldest amongst us will live the longest.

 

You can write about the first day of realisation that the world has changed and you are growing younger. You can write about the gradual lack of concern you feel as you age back through the bouyancy and joy of the youngest years. You can write of the tragedy of knowing that those younger than you will be dying soonest. You can write of the new ways of living, the new ways of being, the unification of shared experience etc. You can write anything you like and we can use this as the thread for the writing.  

 

Viper will be helping me as of next month and of course - this may go nowhere at all and just hit brick walls along the way - I still can't decide what to do with so many aspects, like historic milestones that get passed again and pregnancy !! I think human pro-creation will have to end, but I don't really know. It is messy and could ultimately be pointless - so I would at least love to learn from the journey.

 

Thank you lovely folk here in our little Literary oasis for anything you can help with.

 

Namaste,

 

Tina x

 

Note to Bob:
Your wonderful 'Pandora' eerily echoes the themes in this story and I do long for your input if you can - Pandora would make a lovely opening poem xxx 

 

p.s.

Rough working title (till someone suggests better)... "The Knowing - Un-done"

 

Sounds like a great idea.. You're welcome to my poem-it does go with the flavor of your story proposal- I think it's a marvelous idea- It's really an end of days story- no more births- the oldest person will be the last person left standing- lots of story ideas. Viper is the perfect collaborator-he has a wicked brain, still howling in delight about his harlaquen short.  I'm a notoriously slow writer but I'll toy with this-maybe come up with a few perspectives -or some dystopian scenarios. A great storyline proposal that is mouth watering to any writer to lick his chops on....

 

 

my warmest

bob

Thanks so much for the wonderfully positive response Bob. As fiction is very far from my personal norm - I truly value your help ...and time is of course not an issue.

 

Viper is more blunt, more straight talking and far more logical in his thoughts than I and he approaches from a completely different perspective. I find reading him that I am not lost, confused or unsure - though he retains the ability to surprise. His personal style is a delightful conter-balance to my ramblings that are never sure where they are going or how on earth they intend on getting there!!

 

I feel that within our ex-lit group there are such differences between us - yet a thread that connects... much like characters in a story and it is this that will offer the ingredients for Viper and I to prep & cook into something (or nothing!).

 

Apologies too for the lack of comments for me - my boss remains unfit for work due to an unfortunate encounter with a ski-lift (though I would dare to venture that with or without said accident he would still be no great contributor!) - so alas my workload is somewhat insane at the moment.

 

Namaste,

Tina xxx

Tina...I'd love to contribute, but I am totally lost in the realm of fiction.   I know I can write from experience, but I'm not clever enough to write fiction.

I will watch what develops here and if a spark of brillance strikes me, I will surely try to help.

You go girl!

XXX

Hi Bea,

I would be so happy if your input was in poetry. All I want is a view of how the world of this story looks to your eyes - relayed in any way that suits you... whenever the mood strikes.

You have lived well my friend and the idea of you re-living life back to the early carefree days of youth - enthralls me :) x

Wonderful concept, Tina.

 

Loved Benjamin Button but it felt incomplete.  The makers spent too much time trying to wow the audience - and succeeded for the most part - but the underlying theme of mortality kind of fell by the wayside.  Did love the bit with the clock in reverse.

 

You have ignited a flame in my addled brain.  I will now be thinking of where you might take this.  Will let you know if I think of anything.

 

The one thing I did think of in reading your treatment was faith:  What role it will play.  Also had images of ghosts longing for their mortality returned.

Hi Francisco,

I haven't actually seen the movie and only know what was said at the awards ceremony of its plot - I don't want to look in case I 'absorb' anything. I sometimes appreciate my lack of knowledge in some things as I think it keeps my thoughts original ...if somewhat abstract!!

 

I am so excited that you will think on this and have already touched on some of my plot problems - mortality & faith. Hmmm, my thinking so far is that the faith might be beyond question if the event that reverses the world's orbit is a 'creator' caused one that everybody is witness to? But then again, it might not be... we will walk it through till it all falls into place :)

 

Mortality? Yes, much thought on that one. I don't think we can bring back the dead or have corpses re-forming in their graves. I think we can only deal with living matter or this becomes less believable. Now I mention believable - I think I want that. I think it would be good if our story is something the reader can believe in - in some way.

 

 

See - already we are moving with this and addressing the stuff that has confused me - thank you so much x

 

 

Quite perfect. I think you wrote the ending ...and the combination of Bob's 'Pandora' as the opening, with your superbly visual piece as the close, is better than I could have hoped for. I love your view, it is like journeying through the unfolding, on silk.

Thank you, thank you. I had assumed most would write from a human perspective and I think most will ie: how the going back of time will impact their lives and those around them - my mind would never have gone where yours did. x

Happy St. Valentine's Day Tina.

J.

...and to you sweet friend xxx

Ok, Ms. Tina, I have given your story some thought and realized I didn't really know in whose voice this will be written in so I chose to think of it from the point of view of someone immune to the backwards effect in your story.

 

And came up with an immortal of one sort or another.  I understand you wrote you wanted to keep it as grounded in reality as possible, but the story is a fantasy of sorts and as long as it doesn't get too fantastical it can remain grounded in the physical. 

 

Perhaps an immortal amused/pleased by God's work being undone.

 

I think it would be hard to tell the story from a human pov because, as one regresses, so do their language skills - which actually would make for an interesting angle.

 

Just an idea.  Will be back when I think of something else.

I love the idea of the voice change as the chapters progress! Brilliant side-effect of your wonderful musing. Will have to be a part of each character's story... of course! Perhaps one of the key identifiers of the changes that will be a predominent thread through the tale.

I wonder if the 'immortal' you speak about could actually be the oldest person at the time of the change? Maybe this is the person who can view the events and narrate what is happening longest and it would be wonderful to regress his language. Depending on how we end ie: could be that the gods/destiny/nature/physics favour us and forward us again at a point?  or we could simply end with the tears of a child, alone and unable to fend for himself?... I love the not-knowing where we will go next!

Tons of delicious food for thought... I like the way you are thinking and truly appreciate your time and creativity x

Hi Tina.

 

How is your story coming along?