A to Z interactive story

What if writing didn’t have to be done alone? What if this thing we have here, where I write, you read, could be more of a two-way dialogue? What if you could challenge me more directly to shape a story the way you want, not only the way I want? What if I let go of control and used this for this year’s A to Z challenge?

There is a reason I love the solitude of writing, the complete power it gives me over my creation. So here’s a thing I’ve never done in the 40 years of my life: collaboration. It’s high time to change that.

Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to co-write – I know you’ll all be busy with writing your own posts. We’ll just have a little fun where your input will shape the story in my head. Some days I’ll ask open-ended questions. Sometimes you’ll be able to write the next sentence. Other days we’ll have a poll where you can just click quickly. Either way, I promise it won’t be a burden.

Let’s see the start!

Which beginning do you prefer? Vote after the first paragraphs.

1.

Aurelia could tell, the dragons were restless. Their innate need to fly was fighting with their social need of taking care of the humans. The contradicting emotions wrestled in them in a careful dance under her watch, and she almost felt them like her own. While they all knew take off was approaching, their wagon was stil down in the queue. She hated coming to the busy hub of Lucia where they had to wait sometimes hours until it was safe to start the flight. It was an impressive feat, the coordination of the hundreds of dragon-wagons, their take-off and arrival – it wasn’t long ago that her path was to lead her to the Tower of Direction Control. A shining future that could have been hers.

2.

Every parent thinks it’s their fault when something happens to their kids. Beata knew it was. After all, that was exactly what she wished for not long before: a life without Dan. They were at the airport, waiting for their connecting flight, and Dan showed no inclination to sleep. He had only allowed her 2 hours of sleep the night before between all the packing and the 2-month-old’s different needs and Beata just couldn’t take it any more. She locked themselves into the lavatory, crying and longing for the days when she controlled her own schedule – sleeping and otherwise. Now she desperately wants to take it back. But it’s too late.

3.

Would it have made a difference if she hadn’t been at the station that day? Or had fate already got its hooks in her? Carla’s mother blamed Ian who offered Carla the place on the training team. She also blamed the government for letting migrants in, Carla’s dad, who was an immigrant himself from Hungary, the weather with the global warming – she blamed everyone but herself.

4.

I never believed they were angels. Like so many of us, I’d also seen them before the Big Reveal. Seen them and studied them. It was all in the data you see. Once I complied the list of sightings in chronological order, it was all clear: they were an invasion force. But man, was I wrong, too.

Vote

Which of the above should kick off the A to Z challenge on April 1st? Vote below or simply let me know in the comments.

Poll on the blog (might not appear):

Poll on Twitter:

Poll: Which paragraph shall I continue for the #AtoZChallenge? https://t.co/8eCxlRYAxJ
1. The Collapse of the Tower of Direction Control
2. The Heathrow Disappearances
3. When the world had no phones for six days
4. The angels are here to destroy us

— Andrea 🎶 (@missandi0623) March 19, 2018

If you haven’t decided to join, you can still do so on the challenge’s page here. Let me know if you partake so I can check your posts out.

And if you’re interested in something else, check out my self-discovery blog that uses travel to become unapologetically me.

Love,
Andrea

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