Characters | Teen Ink

Characters

July 14, 2011
By CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius


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.


The author's comments:
This was just a random idea that sprang into my head a few days ago. Feedback is greatly appreciated!

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This article has 330 comments.


on Aug. 15 2011 at 12:20 pm
Jessi_suarez1 GOLD, Kissimmee, Florida
16 articles 0 photos 98 comments
wow you have quite the imagination haha. I thought it was well constructed. not my style personally but you can tell it describes you and your personality, which is what writting should do. so job well done.

on Aug. 14 2011 at 12:23 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you! :)

on Aug. 14 2011 at 9:53 am
MorenSore SILVER, Albuquerque, New Mexico
9 articles 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought."
~Lord Acton

Oh so true, but I love how you were so creative with the cause.

on Aug. 11 2011 at 9:28 am
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  I'm glad you like it. :)

LovelySerena said...
on Aug. 11 2011 at 7:34 am
LovelySerena, Dededo, Other
0 articles 8 photos 27 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches on the soul. ~Emily Dickinson

Hahaha, you posted this in my contest! No wonder you won first place! It really tells us how we're acting in our universe. Awesome! Wow, running out of adjectives. . .

on Aug. 7 2011 at 10:23 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  It's meant to be sort of chilling. :)

on Aug. 7 2011 at 10:17 pm
TheCoffeeKitten BRONZE, Saugatuck, Michigan
4 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Hi there! I just read your story--it was interesting to say the least! It's not exactly my style, but it was still a cool read with an interesting topic. A little scary though--I mean, what if this was what was really going on? O_O *shudders* Anyways, very interesting and well written. Cheers. ^w^

~CK


on Aug. 7 2011 at 9:14 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  I meant for it to sound kinda like how writers control their characters. :)

on Aug. 7 2011 at 9:11 pm
renthead96 BRONZE, City, Ohio
3 articles 0 photos 35 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."

I loved this! It made me laugh. I like how it is referring to us writers and how we literally control our own every character's move. Yet maybe, just maybe, we ourselves are characters in some crazy alien's mind. This is so random and creative, two things I love.

on Aug. 7 2011 at 3:29 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thanks!  I always appreciate detailed feedback. :)

on Aug. 7 2011 at 12:43 am
CheshireKat_95 BRONZE, Cambridge, Minnesota
2 articles 3 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal."
- Jane Austen, letter to Cassandra Austen, 24 December 1798

Haha. Most definitely not. For me, interesting means "slightly weird in the very best way possible." I'll comment better feedback here when I get a chance, since you did ask for feedback in the forum post I made. ;) It might be a few days before I get the time. But don't worry! I haven't forgotten you, I promise. ;D

on Aug. 6 2011 at 10:51 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you for the feedback!

on Aug. 6 2011 at 10:39 pm
NorthernWriter, Fargo, North Dakota
0 articles 0 photos 326 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Only dead fish swim with the stream"

this wasn't exactly my preferred genre, even though it was very creative and interesting. the beginning is definitely something that draws you in, but i think you need a little more jazzy word choice to fully deliver your story in the tone that fits the plot! the end seems a little too incomplete for me, and i have a suggestion...but you're the author and it's your choice: why not take this story to the next step and have two humans live their life but show us scenes in which the aliens interfere. i think that's humorous and far more descriptive. all in all, it was a very interesting piece! keep writing!

on Aug. 4 2011 at 9:38 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Wow, thanks!  I'm glad you liked my article so much. :)

on Aug. 4 2011 at 8:08 pm
billgamesh11 BRONZE, Grafton, Massachusetts
3 articles 0 photos 278 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It's always darkest before the dawn." ~Florence and the Machine

WOW that was sooo creative!!! I really liked the humor in it too! This gets 5 stars!!!:):):);) And i love how you included the bit about how some aliens jot down stuff that will happen later in their life, a typical trait of writers everywhere;)Keep writing!!! PLEASE!!! The world needs good, creative ideas like this!!!!!!:):):);)

on Aug. 4 2011 at 8:01 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thank you!  I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

on Aug. 4 2011 at 7:55 pm
KayleeRae PLATINUM, Arvada, Colorado
34 articles 49 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Either write something worth doing or do something worth writing."

I was literally chuckling out loud... It seems so reasonable, like this could totally happen. And maybe we writers actually are the controllers of the characters we write, even though we are controlled be the aliens... Crazy stuff right here. Blew my mind hahaha just like The Matrix

on Aug. 3 2011 at 7:19 pm
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

Thanks so much! :)  I'm glad you liked it.

on Aug. 3 2011 at 3:13 pm
Love.Hate.Passion., Spring Valley, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 356 comments

Favorite Quote:
~Hope. Faith. Love~
~Be proud of who you are.You are all unique in a different way.~
~I WILL NOT fade into oblivion , and become less than
a distant memory.~

This .Was.Awesome

 

I don't have words to express how much I really liked it. Your last paragraph was my favorite :)


on Aug. 3 2011 at 9:34 am
CarrieAnn13 GOLD, Goodsoil, Other
12 articles 10 photos 1646 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." --Douglas Adams

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." --Marcus Aurelius

It was sort of meant to be comical, but deep at the same time. :)