Perspective Protagonist...Group novella

[lumberjim]

Seven travelers. They are traveling on foot for the moment. The Moon has been hit by a comet, and civilization has broken down completely. These seven travelers have come together by pure random chance. This is a story told by these travelers in the first person as though they were narrating or relaying it to a friend.

It is summer, but you wouldn't know it from the weather. Bandits are not uncommon, and the cities are swept up in tribal wars over the quickly diminishing stores and fuel. Our travelers have fled Chicago, and are making their way West to find land that they can live on in peace and begin to rebuild. The defacto leader, Patrick, has or had a grandfather that owns or owned ( he had not talked to him since the impact, as there were no phones, mail, or any other means of communication) a large piece of land near Durango, Colorado.

how to play

Choose a character.

If you are first, you may take Patrick, or create one of the six remaining characters. Your first post should include a name, a physical description of your character, a brief background, and a description of his or her personality. You may want to include a proffession, skill set, expertise, or material possessions. This is now YOUR character, and he or she has free will.

Wait until all seven slots have been cast

Once all seven slots are filled, we will begin the tale. If we don't get seven people that will stick with this, we may reduce the size of the traveling party, or just scrap the whole idea.

Telling your side of the story

The first to post sets the pace.

Write a one post entry about a time period that you see as appropriate, keeping in mind that the rest of the cast will be giving their version of your events if they were present during what you describe, or telling of their own experience during the time period you set. Try to be descriptive while leaving doors open for the other players. Set traps or prop up another member of the cast. Have fun with it.

Progression

After everyone has posted their character's entry, the second character that was created will do as #1 did in the first section.

Adaptation
If you decide that you no longer want to play, you are free to off your character by whatever means you deem fitting. You are also free to lend your character to a friend, or give it away. If you simply abandon your character, and you don't respond to prodding, your character will be written out or claimed by another willing participant.

If there are more people that wish to participate, they can assume the role of any "non-core character" mentioned by any of the "core-characters." That is, If Patrick sees a bandit in the woods and runs from him,or meets a lost child, YOU may then define the bandit or child as described above under "Choose a character" and he or she then enters the "Progression" in the order that you appeared in the story.

There is no set plot, but for the sake of the story, please try to keep the overall structure in mind. As a reminder, you need contention, conflict, and resolution for a story to be a story and not a wandering journal.

I hope you will join in. This idea came so quickly, and all at once that I have not spent any time refining it. It seems to me, though, that by keeping chaos invoilved in the creative process, this will refine itself.

Who will take the first character?