"Planning Utopia" NaPoWriMo #7

Planning Utopia

 

The other morning I had a brilliant idea

for a YA series. One not set in a dystopia

but for a change, a utopia.

It would be perfect: social theory

and adventure at the same time.

I started planning, gleeful at the rich

plots I could weave.

On the stairs to work, I hit my first snag.

How could a utopia not be full of

vegetarians? But then wouldn’t the

omnivores cry foul? But then, even

worse, from a demographics point of view,

wouldn’t a utopia be full of vegans?

In a perfect world, would we still make

animals serve us? And suddenly,

in my head, I was at Fruitlands

with the Alcotts and their friends,

living on apples and dreams.

So, dilemma: I could make the

vegetarians happy, or the vegans

or the omnivores, but not all at once.

And that, I thought, was that. The end.

But, wait! I thought. In a utopia,

people would agree to disagree!

They would respect people’s choices!

Could I? Would I be so bold as to create

a world where people let other people

live as they please without judging them?

That’s why it’s called fiction!

It’s imaginary! It’s not a real world.

I could do it! It would even be fantasy!

But wait.

Even if I create a perfect imaginary world,

Where people don’t judge others,

And the credo is “as long as your actions don’t

impact another, live and let live.” Where

crime, greed, jealousy, and vice are

eliminated, I’d have to sell the book.

And someone, somewhere, would say

I am a blood mouth or, alternately,

A left-wing-socialist-tree-hugging-feminazi.

With. An. Agenda.

And I wonder, would it be worth the time

to write a book in which people are kind,

and just, and fair, and non-judgmental, or

would I find, that there is no market for it,

even as fiction?

Because really, fiction, even fantasy

can only be so fantastic.

****

This took a turn I wasn't expecting, but write and post is my motto this month. One of the fun things of NaPoWriMo!