I told you it was coming.

During my many night-time trawlings through my mind, I sift through some very odd ideas of which I'd like to write about, sometimes putting them aside to consider properly and to review their use; others, I just discard as sleep-deprived-lunacy, and some I think merit at least being jotted down, if not expanded upon to any real degree. This is the latter (interesting sidenote, and I hope someone knows: The first is the former, the last is the latter, what is the middle one?) I've never been a huge fan of Dickens, albeit because of a heady bias against 19th Century realism. I know that these stark meta-realities are meant to underline a core message of corruption, disenfranchisement, disassociation with the establishment, poor conditions in class structure, etc. etc., but, well, give me Dostoevsky any day of the week. Unashamed arrogance strikes a much more poignant and realistic note with the reader. After all, writing as feeling, and all that.

So, yes, this is an idea I might explore next year during a portfolio, or something, but I'd have to work out the logistics of it, but at the moment it's just a pleasant distraction to imagine. As the casual reader will know, Dickens normally (if not always) wrote epistolic works, and so you could chart, chronologically, the progression of the main characters's lives even after the main plot had finished. Abandoning the pretense of reality is fun sometimes :). Well, I think that creates an interesting basis for a feature, if not a short work of non-fiction. Charting the actual progression of a person's life, with their friends, lovers, teachers, etc. etc. Now, it would be a monumental task (and is something I will probably forget about and never bother to do even if I remember, but this is fairly blissful to pretend) to:

-Select a candidate who would be of a certain age (old), and would be willing to divulge so many intimate details.

-Chase up people to feature for colour and clarity.

-Ascertain validity and reliability.

Probably years. Anyway, if not in a professional sense, an interesting satire could surely be gleaned from this? In a lampoon style, rather than a scathing burlesque, it could be quite an interesting piece to read, me thinks. Perhaps featuring autobiographical elements, but grossly over-exeggerated.

We shall see.

It's either that or I do my second feature (I will do this), which will (hopefully, if my lecturer grants rights to it ;)) involve me listening to the entire length of my iPod or CD collection without leaving the confines of my room (with exceptions for the bathroom). It sounds pointless, but I think it would make something notable to read.