Novel X, a tentative start

Prologue (Or should it be plot summary?)

Here’s a room, almost empty you say, but there’s one desk which makes you hesitate to say the word ‘empty’, and above all, there’s a man at the desk, biting his pencil. You can almost make out the teeth marks. He’s thinking, musing, deeply entrapped in his own web of imagination, or is it deadlock--we’re not sure. But we can see his pages are empty. There’s only a date, 1 April. He needs his players, he needs a protagonist. Probably a girl to start with, then continue to invite in more to make the plot going. He stared hard at the blankness and suddenly started to scribble with such fury that started us.



Meanwhile, it might be useful to know that the man is a schizophrenic, split into two major personalities, among other tinier, quieter ones; he himself terms the two Slap and Stick, mocking his own life as a slapstick writer. Quite a terminal case, shall we say.

Here you say there’s nothing special about it, just another lunatic writing a multi-paragraph self-entertaining thing. Why, it’s all a dream. We always excuse the inconsequentiality and nonsensicality of dreams, don’t we.

It’s a dynamic, interactive novel. Not to be composed by one person alone. For every 2 weeks, writings are to be exchanged, at random. To whom the unfinished pieces are passed on to is unknown. Scripts are deposited in a black box and drawn by the next one, but who? Nobody knows. No complaints, no grudges. Write on as if it’s always been your own.

They don’t know each other. How is that possible? Communication is strictly forbidden. Let’s just idealize the situation for now and be contented.
They can’t tell from handwritings since everything’s typewritten.

But, there’re always ways to know. Loopholes, chances, traps.

The same beginning takes on different flows. Life of the writer at the desk takes different turns.


A girl gets to know the secrets of a boy, or she thinks it’s a he. And keeps the secrets well. Pen pals in love.

One of them writes a detective story. On paper, horrible crimes are committed. On the day of final submission, real murder takes place. It is April 1st.
Who wrote the plot? Too many. Who did it? No one. Everyone.
A paper is stolen and returned a day later. Everything’s the same except the ending. Why the change?
They’re each independent happenings. They’re all linked