I rode in a hot air balloon last weekend–tethered, natch, but the best thing I did all weekend was pick up a paper and pen at a real estate booth. I had no reason for stopping at that booth since I have no plans to buy a home anytime soon. But I stopped there anyway and picked up a paper and pen, and it was a good thing I did because while waiting in line for that hot air balloon ride, I had time to think, and what did I find myself thinking about but the concept that had been floating around my head for a few weeks.
That concept is now my NaNoWriMo 2010 plot.
When you take a photo, you are freezing that instant. This is in fact why I find photos of myself to be so strange, never mind that I’m not at all photogenic. This is also why not a single one of my profile pictures are of myself. It’s not that I find myself unattractive; it’s that the picture freezes me in an instant somewhere in the past. I’m no longer that exact person in thought, in feeling, or in body.
Now imagine that when a photo is taken of you, an alternate version of you is created. This alternate version of you continues to live life based on the whims of that instant and continues to grow, live, and learn. This person could turn out to be similar or completely different based on which other alternate people they interact with. An alternate self is free to interact with several other alternates of another person–all separately, of course. There are many, many versions of the same person, the same place, the same thing in the alternate realities.
All this is going on behind the photos. No two alternates of the same person can meet thanks to a special property of the alternate reality. It just wouldn’t be right.
Now imagine that the alternate realities collide with the real world, the world you and I live in.
This is my story. My main character, an anachronist and kindergarten teacher, starts seeing people who appear to be other versions of herself. Little does she know that she’s right as she starts to see more of them and the alternate realities start leaking into Earth.
What is reality? Are you really unique? Who could you have become? This is what my main character seeks to find out.
10 Responses.
I read “anachronist” as “anarchist” and thought an anarchistic kindergarten teachers could wreak havoc on those innocent little minds. Then I thought how much fun that would be. *evil shifty look*
Sounds like an awesome plot to play with. 30 more days to go! *flails dramatically*
@YGJunkie Thanks! That would be a fun kindergarten teacher to write. Maybe at the Academy of Warping Innocent Minds?
That sounds like an awesome plot, sushi! At first I thought you were going to say your novel would involved hot air balloons, and I was all “Hey, that’s -my- novel!”
Just a month, a tiny month, and we can get to writing!
@ClaudieA Your novel involves hot air balloons? I need to go read your synopsis since I haven’t done so yet.
I actually had the same reaction when someone posted on the forums about an alternate reality…until reading the post. One month to go, and thanks!
This is really awesome! I think your story will really make people think. What if something like this could really happen? I love it!
@nandao Thanks! I hope it makes people think; rather, I hope I can make it deep enough to make people think. This is a lot of philosophical thought to put in one novel.
I’m requesting an eBook. Thanks in advance!
@JMattHicks I’ll see about that ebook. Let me finish and edit the thing first.
@Sushi Ha ha DEAL!
[...] Now that I have a plot, it’s time to start planning it. Those who know me well know that I’m a pantser. I don’t make extensive plans before writing, nor do I create major character sketches, world maps, or anything fancy like other Wrimos may do. This year may be a little different. I really need to sit down and think about how these worlds are going to interact. [...]