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Characters
Have you ever wondered why your perfect plans are shattered? Why a seemingly perfect romance ended? Why good luck strikes at strange times? Why life seems like a bunch of meaningless chaos?
There is a very simple answer to all of these questions. We were created by an ancient race of aliens and are nothing but characters in their stories, created to alleviate their boredom.
As soon as they are old enough to write, they are given a computer software program and a manual with only the most basic rules of their writing universe. In order to create a new character, they must collaborate with other aliens to make sure two human parents give birth to a child. This child will be under their control from the moment it is born until the moment it dies.
You are always subject to the whims of your creator. Everything you say, everything you do is controlled by them. Usually, the aliens have jotted down things they want to happen during your lifetime. But some aliens detest this and make random decisions as to where your life will go. This is where chaos comes from.
Our planet is relatively new, but the aliens have become bored with it. The best writers among them have declared that the Earth is a cliché, boring universe. They have decided they want to write in a new, more exciting world, so they have taken a special vote. It was this vote that decided how our world will end.
“Why don’t we let a black hole swallow their planet?”
“Nah, we’ve done that already.”
“What if the Earth spontaneously combusts?”
“That’s way too cliché!”
“Okay, why don’t we knock their planet out of orbit and send it crashing into the sun?”
“That’s a stupid idea.”
“Fine. How about we give all their world leaders bad cases of paranoia and see what happens?”
“Sure. Why not?”
And so, our world will not end with a bang, but with slow decay. Our increasingly paranoid world leaders will declare war on each other and humanity will slowly die out. But, since the aliens lost all interest in us, we have gained something we never had before: free will. It is now up to us to decide our fates—and the fate of our planet.
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This article has 330 comments.
This was really good. As a Christian, i hafta say that this isn't exactly what happened, is happening, or will happen, but a lot of the parts are right. Very good work!
(Written as a response to "feedback for feedback")
Hmm...
That was interesting.
I definitely liked it.
There seems to be something missing, though. Try working out transitions. Or maybe if you could make it sound a little more relaxed, like someone just spewing the facts.
"Yeah, well, we're controlled by these bored aliens with nothing better to do. Ironic, huh?"
Right now the whole thing's kinda rigid. If you added a bit more flow and personality, it would add the perfect bit of wit to your cynicism.
Best of luck.
-Thorn
Hello! Congratz on winning my contest! :)
I really do love the idea behind this story. There are so many unexplained and random things in life, and sometimes it does seem as if things are out of control. "Fate" has always frightened people, as it was out of their hands. I found it very interesting that you took a new spin of this, and made it not fate that controlled our lives, but other beings writing each and every one of our stories.
As a writer, I find this especially inspiring. After all, I do put my characters through quite a bit. The idea that humans---"writer" humans---could actually be living their lives as characters themselves presents a nice dose of irony!
The one thing I would suggest changing?
When you're writing the dialogue of the other beings, I would suggest taking out the quotations and italic the words instead. Seeing as how you're really only using the dialogue to show how "in control" the other beings are, the dialogue isn't necessary. People will get the same impact---and a greater one---without the quotations.
Either way: wonderful concept!
I love this idea XD
I'm glad they didn't go with crashing into the sun :D
