LJI S9.0, Introduction
When confronted with the necessity of writing an introduction about yourself, do you ever think, "H'm, which version of me should I describe?"
That was what my personal muse suggested after I read Gary's week zero topic.
Personal Muse: You know, most people are probably just going to produce something drab and unexciting based around that old three letter chat inquiry, A/S/L. (Age, sex, location.)
Dan: Well, it's the week zero topic where the voting results don't count, and the main idea is really to let the other players know who you are.
Personal Muse: (Scoffs) Ha, he says it isn't going to count, and if you believe anything he says, I have some ocean front property in Arizona I has been savin' for just the right person. He'll probably bring in an outside panel of "experts" to eliminate the bottom fifty introductions, and unless you make like Emeril and "kick it up a notch," one of those will be you.
(See how my personal muse has no hesitation about stabbing me in the back and then twisting the knife? The scenario above mirrors how I was eliminated in season eight.)
Dan: (Sighing) And you, of course, have some sort of ingenious plan to avoid week zero gatekeeper elimination?
Personal Muse: (rubbing hands together) But of course. Would you agree that your strengths as a writer are character creation and dialogue?
Dan: Um, sure.
Personal Muse: So, what you do is gather a group of all the different versions of Dan together, and have them interact with each other.
Dan: All the different versions? Your brilliant plan has me splitting into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
Personal Muse: Well, for you, it'd be more like Norman Bates.
Dan: Shut up!
Personal Muse: No, this is good, just think of all the possibilities from your past. You could introduce everyone to the kid who was so afraid of water slides and swimming that, when pushed into going down a slide by his sister, he decided that the best course of action was to jump over the side. How many stitches did they have to put in your forehead after that?
Dan: (Getting into bed) You should feel free to keep talking for as long as you like, but I have to get up at 6:00 am tomorrow, so...
Personal Muse: Oh, oh, and then there was the dude after your divorce, the one who thought it was a good idea to start dating with the restrictions of "No kids, no cats, and no Disney," for prospective females. That should really endear you to all the lady contestants out there.
Dan: (Mutters) Listening to you is why I never had any dates in high school. If you're going to talk about past versions of me, why not the one who created a very successful business in adaptive technology training?
Personal Muse: H'm, pretty dead dull boring, but I suppose we could keep that one as sort of a fill in character.
Dan: Nice. I know I'm going to regret asking, but what happens once we've convened the doppelganger convention?
Personal Muse: Ah, the best part, then you put them in an interactive situation. Maybe they're playing cards, and discussing who gets to write in future LJI weeks. Or, perhaps a sort of Family Feud, "Give your top answer to the following LJI prompt."
Dan: (Yawns) I'm cool with the Family Feud thing, just so long as I don't have to kiss Richard Dawson.
Personal Muse: In this game, Gary probably gets all the kisses.
Dan: Definitely not Family Feud then. Anyway, your brilliant idea has a fatal flaw.
Personal Muse: What's that?
Dan: Identification. How am I supposed to make each version of me stand out to the reader?
Personal Muse: Nah, that's simple. Think about how many nicknames you've had throughout your life. What's that your kids used to call you, MDD, Mean Daddy Dan? You're not looking at a fatal flaw here, boyo, but a treasure trove of possibilities. Family members, teachers, business colleagues, even past girlfriends--I bet they all had special names for you.
Dan: Past girlfriends?
Personal Muse: Well yeah, probably not what they were calling you at the end of the relationship, but...
Dan: I'm going to sleep!
After careful consideration, I believe I'm going to send my personal muse back to Mount Helicon, or where ever it was he came from.
Dan
Crossposted from Dreamwidth
That was what my personal muse suggested after I read Gary's week zero topic.
Personal Muse: You know, most people are probably just going to produce something drab and unexciting based around that old three letter chat inquiry, A/S/L. (Age, sex, location.)
Dan: Well, it's the week zero topic where the voting results don't count, and the main idea is really to let the other players know who you are.
Personal Muse: (Scoffs) Ha, he says it isn't going to count, and if you believe anything he says, I have some ocean front property in Arizona I has been savin' for just the right person. He'll probably bring in an outside panel of "experts" to eliminate the bottom fifty introductions, and unless you make like Emeril and "kick it up a notch," one of those will be you.
(See how my personal muse has no hesitation about stabbing me in the back and then twisting the knife? The scenario above mirrors how I was eliminated in season eight.)
Dan: (Sighing) And you, of course, have some sort of ingenious plan to avoid week zero gatekeeper elimination?
Personal Muse: (rubbing hands together) But of course. Would you agree that your strengths as a writer are character creation and dialogue?
Dan: Um, sure.
Personal Muse: So, what you do is gather a group of all the different versions of Dan together, and have them interact with each other.
Dan: All the different versions? Your brilliant plan has me splitting into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
Personal Muse: Well, for you, it'd be more like Norman Bates.
Dan: Shut up!
Personal Muse: No, this is good, just think of all the possibilities from your past. You could introduce everyone to the kid who was so afraid of water slides and swimming that, when pushed into going down a slide by his sister, he decided that the best course of action was to jump over the side. How many stitches did they have to put in your forehead after that?
Dan: (Getting into bed) You should feel free to keep talking for as long as you like, but I have to get up at 6:00 am tomorrow, so...
Personal Muse: Oh, oh, and then there was the dude after your divorce, the one who thought it was a good idea to start dating with the restrictions of "No kids, no cats, and no Disney," for prospective females. That should really endear you to all the lady contestants out there.
Dan: (Mutters) Listening to you is why I never had any dates in high school. If you're going to talk about past versions of me, why not the one who created a very successful business in adaptive technology training?
Personal Muse: H'm, pretty dead dull boring, but I suppose we could keep that one as sort of a fill in character.
Dan: Nice. I know I'm going to regret asking, but what happens once we've convened the doppelganger convention?
Personal Muse: Ah, the best part, then you put them in an interactive situation. Maybe they're playing cards, and discussing who gets to write in future LJI weeks. Or, perhaps a sort of Family Feud, "Give your top answer to the following LJI prompt."
Dan: (Yawns) I'm cool with the Family Feud thing, just so long as I don't have to kiss Richard Dawson.
Personal Muse: In this game, Gary probably gets all the kisses.
Dan: Definitely not Family Feud then. Anyway, your brilliant idea has a fatal flaw.
Personal Muse: What's that?
Dan: Identification. How am I supposed to make each version of me stand out to the reader?
Personal Muse: Nah, that's simple. Think about how many nicknames you've had throughout your life. What's that your kids used to call you, MDD, Mean Daddy Dan? You're not looking at a fatal flaw here, boyo, but a treasure trove of possibilities. Family members, teachers, business colleagues, even past girlfriends--I bet they all had special names for you.
Dan: Past girlfriends?
Personal Muse: Well yeah, probably not what they were calling you at the end of the relationship, but...
Dan: I'm going to sleep!
After careful consideration, I believe I'm going to send my personal muse back to Mount Helicon, or where ever it was he came from.
Dan
Crossposted from Dreamwidth