Wednesday 19 April 2017

A-Z Challenge 2017 - P is for Perfect Avenue

Welcome to Day 16 of the A-Z Challenge 2017. This month I'm sharing my "Black & White Snippets" - snapshots of some of the characters, places and concepts that populate my forthcoming YA dystopian trilogy, Black & White. There won't be a lot of details or spoilers - just short scenes and vignettes that give you a hint of the world I've created. Today, it's P for Perfect Avenue.


Perfect Avenue. It lived up to its name to… well, to perfection. But then everything was perfect in Whitopolis. However, if there were scales of perfection, then this street would be that little bit more perfect than everywhere else. This was where the high-end shops were, where people came if they wanted their clothing, bedding, furnishings to be that little bit better. But still white. Everything was white, and nothing could be whiter than anything else. Still, people could tell if you’d been to Perfect Avenue. In a country where total equality and uniformity were meant to have been created, the citizens had still managed to find subtle ways of asserting their superiority. Human nature couldn’t be reprogrammed that easily.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jumping in here and like the sound of the world you have created. Will have to jump back and get the other snippets. Glad you found my blog so I could discover yours! Iain

Ronel Janse van Vuuren said...

I won't fit in with the people of Whitopolis - somehow everything white either gets a spot or magically changes colour when I get near it... Happy A-to-Z-ing.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You can't force people to all conform, be the same, be equal.
And since my favorite color is black, I'd be kicked out in a heartbeat.

moon said...

its ironic that such a spirit should prevail in such difficult times . we are incorrigible!! :)
Beautiful excerpt .
Best wishes,
Moon
https://aslifehappens60.wordpress.com

Jean Davis said...

The superior people always crop up, don't they?
Discarded Darlings - Jean Davis, Speculative Fiction Writer, A to Z: Editing Fiction

Darla M Sands said...

What a true lesson! Have you ever heard of 'Universe 25'? A scientist experimented with creating the perfect environment for a colony of rats. Things devolved very quickly, with some called the 'beautiful ones' doing nothing but groom themselves while chaos ruled the rest. It's an interesting, if horrifying tale. Happy Blogging!

http://darlamsands.blogspot.com/

Nicola said...

Oh dear. I think I'd be disruptive in Whitopolis. Fascinating storyline, Nick. Hope all is well.

Crystal Collier said...

Curious. Definitely not the kind of place I'd like to build my summer home. ;)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Nick - I wouldn't fit in ... I wondered if you'd called it Whitopolis after Whiteleys in Queensway, Bayswater ... but no - he was a real Whiteley! I think I'll move away from Whitopolis and go back to Whiteleys - less perfection up there ... well done ... cheers Hilary

http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/p-is-for-pigs.html

Liz A. said...

Why is that? Why must there be those that are "better"? It's not necessarily true for everyone. But there are those...

Sara C. Snider said...

Someone needs to go wild with a red marker. ;)

A to Z 2017: Magical and Medicinal Herbs

Morgan Cartwright said...

Whitopolis...interesting name. It made me smirk a little when I read it. It sounds like a place where people would think they were superior and could run the world.

Keith's Ramblings said...

I'm certainly not taking a holiday there. Far too white!

Another day in Amble Bay!

Josie Two Shoes said...

This is most certainly an intriguing story, and I think it rings true with human nature that some would still not be content with shared perfection, they would want to be just one degree better than others. My biggest concern is the lack of color and diversity of all kinds. I would not want to live in an all white world, I love bright color... lots of it, and I love people of all kinds. Perfection isn't all it's cracked up to be, which your character is clearly discovering!

Barbara In Caneyhead said...

Talk about a recipe for insanity! All white....no color, no patterns or prints.
Perspectives at Life & Faith in Caneyhead

Carrie-Anne said...

That sounds like a really creepy place. Total conformity and so-called perfection are recipes for disaster.

Debbie D. said...

Nothing in life is perfect. I'm guessing something catastrophic is going to happen. White never remains clean for long. Interesting concept for a story!

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