More Rejected Story Ideas
Here’s another bunch of fun (and obfuscated!) rejected story ideas from the last few weeks. Most were part of “pick A or B” scenarios (two stories on the same theme) … so they’re not BAD, just NOT AS AWESOME AS WHAT GOT PICKED. Heh. Yeah. That.
P-WALK: P is on the verge of a breakdown: N talked her into running a baked goods delivery service (“Instant treats, no matter where you are!”) — but she’s having a VERY hard time coping with the increased demands. Her slow-and-steady ways are put to the test by absurd requests at absurd intervals, to the point where she’s baking the wrong things, delivering to the wrong people, and generally making a huge mess of things! Even with G (and KID X) working to lessen the load, her delicate sense of self is coming unravelled so fast, she may give up baking ENTIRELY!
PIRATES OF THE MEADOW: F’s boat needs hull repairs (thanks to C and W) — but while the work’s being done, F and M find themselves dry-docked: in E’ meadow! Completely unable to cope with this change of events, F and M try to carry on as before, with disastrous results (Drop the anchor! Hard right to starboard! Walk the plank! — C and W have their work cut out for them!) But L (and Kid X)’s efforts to create an “authentic sea-like environment” only postpone the inevitable: F and M are going to have to learn to live on land — even just temporarily — or they may break their own ship beyond repair!
BATTLE OF THE NICES: Things in Town get tense after G offhandedly remarks that L (who had just helped him with a chore) is “the nicest!” — a label that T has always claimed as his own! Suddenly determined to out-nice the interloper, T starts imposing his kindness on everyone he sees. But that only pushes L down the same path, until the two of them are helping-and-sabotaging-and-helping people who don’t even need helping! P (and Kid X) start off as impartial third-party observers, but soon find themselves dashing to repair the damage… while finding a clever way to have T and L impress ONE ANOTHER with their niceness instead!
THE MEANING OF P: T’s big day activities mean the band’s gigs are cancelled, leaving P with a terrible realization: without drumming, she doesn’t know WHAT SHE IS. Everyone else has something ELSE they like doing, but if she can’t drum, P isn’t sure what she’s good for. On a soul-searching quest (aided by S and Kid X) for the true meaning of P, she starts emulating other folks in their daily routines… and leaves each of them, mid-activity, worse-off than before. But, as S notes, P’s true talent isn’t in baking or sailing or rollercoastering — it’s turning everyday activities into music-infused fun!
WORST QUEEN EVER: S’s worst fears came true: she’s in charge! What’s strange is that she’s been in charge before… but she felt she didn’t do it RIGHT. Convinced her lack of leader-ness is ruining the experience for everyone, she sets out (at C’s insistence) to query OTHER folks about how they made THEIR most famous days so wonderful. But while they DO have amazing tales to tell (via wacky flashbacks), it starts to become clear that NOBODY really knew how to be a successful leader, they just picked something fun to do, and hoped for the best! So S, building up some confidence of her own, creates a fantastic mash-up activity (based on all the input she’s had) and has the BEST leader day EVER!
PROMOTE-FIN: All good captains know when it’s time to go, and F thinks HIS time is now. Saying good-bye to his beloved ship, he promotes M to captain and heads off to spend his days in a hammock. But M (with L and Kid X as his new crew) is having a REALLY hard time adjusting to being in charge. At first, he keeps disturbing F with even the tiniest of questions… but after getting a dressing-down, he decides to answer any question with a coin toss, no matter how complex the issue may be. After a series of REALLY BAD choices leave the ship racing through town (wedged on a car), M is forced to do what he was MEANT to do, and make decisions for himself. After which, F decides hammocks are boring, and comes back to the ship (without realizing it was gone).
BTASTIC: When P becomes leader, she asks to tag along with B — he’s got the job she MOST admires! But ahead of her arrival, B is a mess of nerves: she’s expecting something AMAZING, and his day-to-day activities are actually kinda BORING! Recruiting P (and Kid X) to help dial of the drama, he whisks P on all kinds of daring adventures — adventures that happen to be paper-thin and poorly-conceived, like saving baby ducks stuck in… water? or oh no! the castle is tipping over and— wait, someone’s tipping the car. But wait! The light house is on fi— wait, those are literally paper flames. The more they try, the more despondent B gets… until he discovers P LOVES it! She gets to be a pretend-firefighter, without all the risk! This is the best day ever! Thanks, B!
