WRITING OBSTACLE
Write a letter to a friend, from the perspective of someone living 100 years in the future.
What commonplace things might they mention that would surprise a reader now, and how can you use these to drive an interesting narrative?
Shadow world
So, do you remember ‘The butterfly effect’? A movie where somebody travels to the past to influence the future. Or the other way around, I don’t remember exactly. Anyway, or didn’t work. Every change had consequences that were not pleasant. Turned out he just had to accept the present.
I didn’t do that, accepting the present I mean. How could I, could you or anyone? The world was going to hell. The so-called leadership, how did that get voted into office? I know you understand me, we talked about or so much. Protested against it.
Anyway, remember that weird dude we met at that rally? Well, he made me an offer I should have refused. “I can get you to the future”, he said. And you can see what needs to be changed. “You can make a better future for everyone.”
So now I’m here and the future isn’t much better. There is no cure for cancer and the ocean is still poluted. The leadership is still all about power, their own specifically. People are arrested for reasons too ridiculous to mention, mostly for being not the same.
But something has shifted in the public. There’s like a whole underground movement. Not like a resistence, they just let goverment do whatever goverment wants. But they don’t listen. They make their own rules. It’s like a shadow society. With shadow mayors, shadow laws and shadow banks.
And it works!
Poverty still exists, but every supermarket runs a foodbank. Hotels give empty rooms to the homeless at night. Paying people don’t mind to pay a liitle extra to cover the costs and the needy don’t take advantage. Hospitals treat everybody, I haven’t discovered yet how they cover the costs. They are kind of secretive about it. But hey, nobody goes bankrupt so whatever it is, it works.
They have a leader whose teachings they follow. Or better said, had a leader. He died about 90 years ago. They talk about him in their homes, gathering the neighbourhood. Coming up with ideas to help each other. I was at one of those meetings and asked the host about this guy, this leader.
She showed me your picture.
So I’m telling you to go. Do your thing. Shout. Do not hold back. You are being heard!
I can’t come back to your, our time. But know that i’m rooting for you. So proud to have been your friend.