Radically Happy

1. Frame Story

I am accidentally leading a writing circle.

I met somebody at a writing conference, and offered to visit her workplace and help start a writing club. She said she had a couple friends who’ve been wanting to do that. I bring corn-dog cones for dinner.

Attendance exceeds expectations. I’m worried we don’t have enough to eat, but fortunately there’s leftovers from an earlier event.

We decide to collaborate together on a single story, about a bunch of high schoolers…

2. Base Story

The kids attend a School for Independent Learners (Hat tip to Val Zvin). A group of friends decide to create a story class. Each of them picks a character, Jumanji-like, that represents their subconscious hopes and fears they dare not talk (or even think) about.

The story we tell shows how the kids lives illuminate and influence the story they are telling; and vice versa. Over the course of the year the kids slowly confront and share their secrets, helped by the story.

3. Kid’s Story

The story they tell is about an alien invasion. We see a ragtag group of independent rebels who hate each other, yet are humanity’s last hope.

4. Hidden Story

As we finish watching the kids [or perhaps the adults] finish their first day of storytelling and leave to go home, the camera slowly pans to the surrounding hills.

We see an observatory. We zoom inside to see a scientist hunched over a screen. We can’t see his face.

Suddenly an alert sounds. He gasps. He turns to the camera.

It is a younger version of one of the rebels.