Story and a Favor

[realisticenamel]

So, I am not new to this site. I've been here....maybe six months, and do most of my role playing on private messages for my own sanity. Writing is definitely a hobby, one that I wish I had more time to do but am content to not let be the focus of my life. That honor belongs with school, work, and an upcoming family of my own.

Outside of this site, I am a registered nurse at a hospital, the only male nurse on my wing's night shift. I'm one of three RNs, so most of what I do is paperwork and leave the room to room activities to the CNAs and STNA's. Desk duty is also where I do a lot of my role playing, since my WIFI is down until it gets repaired next week. My boss-also an avid writer- could care less what I do so long as the work is done first and I'm not looking at porn, and it's a pretty good compromise.

Before I get into the meat of this story, though, let me set the scene. I work in children's oncology. Which is, let me tell you, the hardest, saddest, most heartbreaking place to work sometimes. And yet other times I come home from a shift feeling like the world couldn't be a better place if it tried. Just depends on the shift, as anyone who works in the field can attest to.

But this last shift that I just got off of-I work swing, 4pm to midnight- we had a lot of our aides call off, which meant all hands on deck for room duty. Thank God it was a quiet night, or I don't know what we would have done. But I was answering call lights-which, for anyone unfamiliar, is the light above a room that a patient can turn on when they need help-, and I stopped into one of the rooms where one of our first nighters are.Those are the hardest, because they are almost always afraid, and if the parents aren't there it can be hard to calm them down.

This child-for HIPPA privacy I am obviously keeping gender, diagnosis, location, prognosis and name hidden- was one of the ones we hate to see. They are going through a really painful treatment, and the first night can be the worse. So I stuck my head in to see how they were doing, and was immediately startled to find them visibly upset. When I asked them what was wrong, they told me that they were writing a story but were having trouble getting into it because the hospital was scary and they were afraid. Which, to a pre-teen that age, is a very common thing to here.

So I told them that I was a writer, and that I knew a whole bunch of writers, and did they want some help with their story. And so, with the permission of a very sick child-and their parents, who think it's a sweet idea and are very nice folks-, I am posting a story idea, and I need help. I want to make a role play sort of thing, just get some characters, and write a version of this story that they can read in the hospital. I need posts approproate for a child between 10 and 13. I know it's hard if you have a lot of role plays going on right now, and if you just want to post a message I'll print that out when the story is done. But if you can spare the time to help a very sick kid, there's more then one person who would be very grateful. I'm posting this in the role playing section of the off topic area, but it seemed a good fit for both places.

Story Idea (almost word for word what they told me):

There is a town in a far away place that is getting attacked, like, a lot. Always getting blown up and stuff, and having to get fixed. So then this scary guy comes and says that if the hero of time can go to the top of the mountain and bring back the snow that doesn't melt, it will stop all the fires and everything will be totally okay again. He can bring his friends and stuff, but he has to carry the snow or it will melt and they are all going to be barbequed for ever.

(P.S- Yeah, they're a video game fan. Don't hold it against them.)

Thanks for your time,

RealisticEnamel

[Inara]

I'm interested in helping out. I'm going to be honest and say the idea doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and I'm going to need a lot more help on the specifics of the background that the child wants (or if we are doing that, I dont know...) and I've never done anything like this, and I'm far from the most experienced writer on this site... but I really love the idea of helping a kid on his/her writing, and I think that it's a sweet thing you are trying to set up.

And I'm ranting...

Anyway. In short, I don't know where to start, but if you will have me, even if it's just for editing or something, count me in.

[realisticenamel]

I wish I could help. Really, I have the same concerns. But that's all I have. I hope to get more people then hash out a plot sort of like this and run with it.

And the fun part? Getting it done by Tuesday or Wednesday.

[Inara]

A full story? What kind of length are we going for?

[realisticenamel]

....Six pages in microsoft word, if that? Something I can give them before they start the next phase of treatment.

[Inara]

6 pages sounds doable actually. Are we trying to do this from start to finish or just get it started for him/her? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to fully understand what's going on so I can think about it.

[realisticenamel]

Just to seed a story they can take from what we give them and run with it. A springboard that they can focus on when things aren't so good. And I also want them to know that people care.

[Inara]

Alright. Thanks for the clarifications.

[Kacey Scott]

i'm totally up for helping the kid out, i've been through a similar situation, hospitals can be hard on anyone, especially a kid. i'm not sure where to go with this, but i'm sure with some fleshing out we can totally do it. lets get some details down and go for it.

[KuroTenshi]

I'd be more than happy to help with fleshing out the plot if you want :3