Picking collective brains

[neadods]

This is probably cheating,* but I'm hung up and need the gestalt to help rattle me loose.

Am trying to write a story that hinges on a form of communication, although not necessarily *about* that form of communication. Just as Blink isn't about the messages on the DVD or the wallpaper so much as it's *about* having to communicate through time to defeat the angels.

Having failed utterly at taking the form of communication approach - "I have a brilliant idea about Navaho Codetalkers!" or something, I'm trying to take it from a different angle to see if inspiration strikes that way.

What major, life-impacting message could go astray, either through a bad connection in a game of "telephone" or letters lost or (best yet) letters/messages delivered, but not understood? "I'll marry you." "The British are coming"** "Get home, your father is dying." "You are the heir to..." I'm thinking of some sort of "for want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost... the battle was lost, and all for the want of a horseshoe nail" plotline.


*Nah, if muskratjohn can thank people for coming up for ideas for his games, I'm not going to apologize for taking whatever I can use for my pro pitches.

**Sorry UKers reading this, that's a bit woven into our culture. Blame Paul Revere, who didn't even make his famous ride.

Comments

[mlewys.livejournal.com]

The first that comes immediately to mind is Alexander Graham Bell's big moment, "Mr. Watson, come here. I need you."

What if the crew of the Titantic spotted the iceberg sooner?

What if Thomas Payne's Common Sense never left the printers?

What if the South tried to surrender to Sherman before his March - and the messenger made it to Sherman with the terms?

What if Maria Antionette said, "I give all my money to the poor!" but word spread that she said, "Let them eat cake!"

What if the Egyptians never used Hieroglyphics?

Pick any great work from the Greeks and decide it was never written. What impact would that have?

For that matter, choose any of the Eastern Philosophers and do the same.

What if Roman hadn't build roads? Or the Pony Express never started?

What if the printing press never caught on?

I could do this all day.