A Challenge To Our Imaginations

Remember that incredible news story I posted on my blog a few days ago about the recent discovery of an unknown Boldini painting (worth millions) - in an apartment in Paris that had sat uninhabited for 70 years? The rent paid every month? Read it again, here. I am still very struck by this story. Aren't you? I mentioned at the time that someone should write a novel or screenplay or whatever about this VERY mysterious occurrence. I still think it. Wouldn't it be fun (at least for those of us who enjoy writing) to weave a tale about that apartment and that painting?

So how about it? I was thinking about a contest, but then I realized that it would entail more work than I can do at this time, also if I ran the contest I couldn't enter my own solution. And that would never do.

Well then, how about a Challenge? A fan-fiction Challenge. I know there are many actual and would-be short story writers out there and I can't imagine that if you read about the Paris apartment, you didn't immediately start thinking - what happened here? There's definitely a story waiting to be told.

I've never created a Challenge before - so I'm treading carefully. How's this sound? Any one of us who feels like writing a short story (1500 words, no more.) can do so - we'll set a time limit, say by February 14th Valentines Day - it is a romantic story after all, not that your story HAS to feature an actual romance.(I know, I know, it's the Holidays and who has time to write? Well, this gives you January and part of Feb.) When the stories are done, we'll post our individual stories on our blogs, then link them to each other. We can even vote on which was the best story, the best solution, even the best title. Then what? I'm stuck on that part of the deal.

Don't really want to get into the whole thing of giving prizes, this Challenge is all about fun and creativity. But fellow blogger and writer, Sue H came up with a great idea: the 'prize' can be something cool to post on your blog's sidebar. I'll design and illustrate an actual prize badge, scan it, and the 'winner' can place it on his or her blog for as long as they like. How's that? Sue even suggested we make this a yearly thing, with a different theme each year. I kind of like the idea. So I'm thinking it over.

I just thought it might be fun, not to mention, intriguing, to have several brains focused on what is, admittedly, a very mysterious incident and see what each of us makes of it. At the end of the day, we'll each have written a good story to add to our writing portfolios.

If any of you are interested in this idea, please post your comments, yay or nay, and we can take it from there. If you think I'm merely spinning my wheels or off my nut, you're welcome to say that as well - but nicely.

Note: I believe the photo at the top of this post is one of the actual apartment. Is that a stuffed emu or an ostrich? Are you kidding me? This place is a treasure trove for the imagination. There are definitely stories here just waiting (for 70 years), begging, to be told.