This is a story I have been working on for the past month. I'm not yet sure what to call it, but I'm sure a name will come to me soon...
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As Jack walked through the drenching torrents of rain, he marveled anew at the city that was Dublin. It had changed drastically in just the past 5 years. He passed a Starbucks on his left. That never would have been there just a short while ago. Jack smiled to himself at just how quickly Ireland had transformed itself. For hundreds upon hundreds of years conquering foreigners had sought out the isle of Saints and Scholars. Destroying any and all chance of wealth and hope for the native people. Eventually, all the misty island knew was poverty and hunger. Up until recently that was all the common Irishman expected out of life. But something miraculous happened in the last hundred years: Ireland threw off the heavy yoke of the English rule. Soon the Irish were able to build a thriving economy, and the people quickly grasped at the wealth that their island held. So that today, Ireland has one of the healthiest economies in the world. The Celtic Tiger was on the rise. And yet, chuckled Jack, they still had the mind set of a poverty stricken people. Many Irishman were quite rich indeed, but went around as if they had nothing but a Euro to their name. But through it all, Ireland strove to be like its neighbors. Throwing itself headlong into becoming just like America, France, and yes, even England. So that today many tourists come to Ireland for the sheep, rolling hills, and lilting accent only to find a McDonald's and Starbucks on every corner. Many are quite devastated to find Ireland more of a green version of their hometown than a land filled with jolly people who all believe in the fair folk. What they don't understand is that, just like home, you can't live on sheep and pixie dust for long. To make it in this age you must rise to the times.
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That's just a rough draft of the beginning. I wanted to get solid concrete footing for which Ireland this story is set in, although I've been worrying that I may have made it a bit too long. After this section the story gets going a lot faster and much more happens. When I have time, I'll be posting more!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Jack walked through the drenching torrents of rain, he marveled anew at the city that was Dublin. It had changed drastically in just the past 5 years. He passed a Starbucks on his left. That never would have been there just a short while ago. Jack smiled to himself at just how quickly Ireland had transformed itself. For hundreds upon hundreds of years conquering foreigners had sought out the isle of Saints and Scholars. Destroying any and all chance of wealth and hope for the native people. Eventually, all the misty island knew was poverty and hunger. Up until recently that was all the common Irishman expected out of life. But something miraculous happened in the last hundred years: Ireland threw off the heavy yoke of the English rule. Soon the Irish were able to build a thriving economy, and the people quickly grasped at the wealth that their island held. So that today, Ireland has one of the healthiest economies in the world. The Celtic Tiger was on the rise. And yet, chuckled Jack, they still had the mind set of a poverty stricken people. Many Irishman were quite rich indeed, but went around as if they had nothing but a Euro to their name. But through it all, Ireland strove to be like its neighbors. Throwing itself headlong into becoming just like America, France, and yes, even England. So that today many tourists come to Ireland for the sheep, rolling hills, and lilting accent only to find a McDonald's and Starbucks on every corner. Many are quite devastated to find Ireland more of a green version of their hometown than a land filled with jolly people who all believe in the fair folk. What they don't understand is that, just like home, you can't live on sheep and pixie dust for long. To make it in this age you must rise to the times.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's just a rough draft of the beginning. I wanted to get solid concrete footing for which Ireland this story is set in, although I've been worrying that I may have made it a bit too long. After this section the story gets going a lot faster and much more happens. When I have time, I'll be posting more!
I'm already captivated. I love your idea of a tourist stricken, commericialized Ireland. Let me rephrase that: I like the way your taking the story in that direction, but of course I don't approve of Ireland becoming such a country.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reaing more! Good luck!
~Líadan Katy Glas