Coping with secret knowledge of contact with aliens (story idea)

[LayneAdrian]

My friends and I were discussing what a person could do if they were actually contacted by aliens (and this led to an idea for a book) Most people wouldn`t believe you if it happened. Most were think you were either lying or mentally unwell if you told them. So I am hoping to hear some feedback about how a person in that extraordinary situation could cope without losing their mind.

The basic plot is about a young woman named Ariana. She has a serious chronic illness and has to spend most of her time resting at home. One day, as she returns from a trip grocery shopping, she finds a note mixed in with her grocery order. I like your shoes. Odd, but not too scary, right? She assumes it is from the cashier. The next time she goes to that grocery store, she looks for the same cashier. When she can`t find her, she asks another employee about a young woman with red hair who was working the register on aisle twelve. The employee informs her that no such person has recently worked there.

As the story continues, Ariana receives messages in a variety of increasingly unusual ways. Eventually she is informed that the communication is coming from a contingent of aliens on earth. She doesn`t believe they are hostile, but she has no clue as to motivation. They ask for secrecy. There is no special reason to contact her and they refuse to explain their reasoning. Beyond that, she`s sick and not especially unique in any way.

So, my question is, how does a very average person cope with a secret of that magnitude? When her life becomes increasingly bizarre, and she witnesses the undeniable, how does she bear it if she can`t tell anyone? The story is still really rough, but I would love any ideas on how someone like that could cope in such an unusual situation.

Thank you!

 

[Jonas Stark]

Cool concept.

She'd think she's losing her mind possibly. If she has a serious chronic illness, she'd probably want to check the side effects of any medication and possibly ask her doctor about them. If she really wanted to be insistent, she could ask for something to calm her mind down. And when that doesn't work, I imagine she'd probably do what a lot of people do and go to Google and type "alien contact reddit" or otherwise search for others who have experienced the same thing. This might even happen before she chooses the medical route.

Where it goes from there depends on the tone you're looking for. Comedy, drama, sci-fi, adventure, descent into madness, etc

 

[RedMage]

Fun idea! And welcome to SFFWorld @LayneAdrian!

First, this makes me think of two scifi books I've read regarding alien contact and abduction. I don't normally read books about that, but your idea sounds different from, yet similar to these two that I want to share them. They may give you some ideas for your story.

The first is The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis about a woman who doesn't believe in aliens visits Roswell, New Mexico for a wedding and gets kidnapped by an alien who needs her to drive it around the American Southwest as it searches for...something. Lots of freaking out, "I've been kidnapped!" but also the shock and disbelief of what has kidnapped her and figuring out communication as time goes on.

The second is Voyagers by Meg Charlton which follows a twenty-something who was abducted by aliens as a small child and his search for meaning and numerous attempts throughout the years to convince his family and the world of his experience.

Apart from these, I wonder how she deals with the messages. Does she talk with friends or family, strangers on the street or her doctors about these messages? If she wakes in the morning to her things being rearranged at home--dirty dishes in the sink or scattered around the place--and it's clearly these "aliens", might she involve friends or the police in trying to capture the regular people doing this (because, of course, it's regular people playing an elaborate prank that is going way too far!) Once she learns they're aliens, does she go to an observatory or buy a telescope of her own to search for a spaceship in orbit? Maybe she attends a convention or local meeting of alien abductees and hears stories that are very different from hers.

I agree with Jonas regarding where to take the story. What is the tone of the story you want to tell?

 

[LayneAdrian]

Cool concept.

She'd think she's losing her mind possibly. If she has a serious chronic illness, she'd probably want to check the side effects of any medication and possibly ask her doctor about them. If she really wanted to be insistent, she could ask for something to calm her mind down. And when that doesn't work, I imagine she'd probably do what a lot of people do and go to Google and type "alien contact reddit" or otherwise search for others who have experienced the same thing. This might even happen before she chooses the medical route.

Where it goes from there depends on the tone you're looking for. Comedy, drama, sci-fi, adventure, descent into madness, etc

Hi Jonas,

Thank you so much for your feedback.

Right....wondering if you were losing your mind would be a natural human reaction, I think. Could I be hallucinating? Could my illness be affecting not just my body but also my mind?

The premise as I have conceived it, is that Ariana experiences a string of bizarre incidents. For example, she is debating whether to make chocolate chip cookies or brownies for a small gathering for her niece. She`s been working through the problem outloud, but it has been in the privacy of her home. So she gets out of the car, and an elderly man slowly passes by, leaning heavily on a cane. "Darn. Forgot the chocolate chips. Matilda won`t like that." It`s a weird coincidence, but hardly a crime, right?

As it goes on, the messages became both increasingly elaborate but completely deniable. For example, she researches Russian history on her computer, and then walks into the local library to find a display about Russian history. Uncanny, but what is she supposed to think? Somebody is setting up displays at the library just for her?

I guess my question comes from after they have contacted her. If she has promised secrecy, then she might read posts on Reddit, but she can`t reply to any of them. She is dealing with not being able to tell anyone. She has not been harmed, but it is a bit overwhelming to find yourself at the center of an elaborate, what....experiment...communication effort..project...when nobody will tell you anything and there is no plausible reason why you would be targeted. So I guess I am really stumped on how Ariana could find ways to cope when she can`t tell anyone, not even on Reddit.

Thank you again so much for your help, and I appreciate it!

 

[Jonas Stark]

The premise as I have conceived it, is that Ariana experiences a string of bizarre incidents. For example, she is debating whether to make chocolate chip cookies or brownies for a small gathering for her niece. She`s been working through the problem outloud, but it has been in the privacy of her home. So she gets out of the car, and an elderly man slowly passes by, leaning heavily on a cane. "Darn. Forgot the chocolate chips. Matilda won`t like that." It`s a weird coincidence, but hardly a crime, right?

As it goes on, the messages became both increasingly elaborate but completely deniable. For example, she researches Russian history on her computer, and then walks into the local library to find a display about Russian history. Uncanny, but what is she supposed to think? Somebody is setting up displays at the library just for her?

Yeah, that's probably what sliding into madness feels like...or medication, possibly. I almost feel like she'd be trying to find Occam's Razor in all this. It'd all be so wild.

I guess my question comes from after they have contacted her. If she has promised secrecy, then she might read posts on Reddit, but she can`t reply to any of them. She is dealing with not being able to tell anyone.

Could be a nice bit of tension, that inclination, that pull, to want to reply. After all, it's anonymous. There are tons of people posting on Reddit about "hypotheticals". Would she be tempted? Would she be afraid? What would she be afraid of happening? Would they hurt her? Maybe she even confronts one of them "hey, how do you know this?" "what do you want with me?"

How these "coincidental guests" reply could make for a very interesting exchange. Do they look at her like she's crazy? Do they wink and move on?

She has not been harmed, but it is a bit overwhelming to find yourself at the center of an elaborate, what....experiment...communication effort..project...when nobody will tell you anything and there is no plausible reason why you would be targeted. So I guess I am really stumped on how Ariana could find ways to cope when she can`t tell anyone, not even on Reddit.

I feel like rationalization would be the first step, and again, depending on what kind of book you're writing, the next steps could be fear, looking for someone to protect her, maybe taking steps to protect herself, or if it's more lighthearted, maybe experimenting with them. Like, maybe she'd see if she can try learning Tagalog to see if a Filipino man enters her life. Maybe she'd start researching backyard landscaping ideas to see if a ground crew shows up to her house to make her dream come true lol.

Thank you again so much for your help, and I appreciate it!

Sure! Cool premise you have here. Could see it going a lot of different ways depending on the book you're looking to write.

 

[Stanley Steamboy]

Why does the MC believe the communication is most likely from aliens? Wouldn't a prank, AI or something else seem more likely to her?


As to how the MC will cope - that's what the story is. The plot is what the character does, and what the MC does ought not to be predictable.

 

[LayneAdrian]

Fun idea! And welcome to SFFWorld @LayneAdrian!

First, this makes me think of two scifi books I've read regarding alien contact and abduction. I don't normally read books about that, but your idea sounds different from, yet similar to these two that I want to share them. They may give you some ideas for your story.

The first is The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis about a woman who doesn't believe in aliens visits Roswell, New Mexico for a wedding and gets kidnapped by an alien who needs her to drive it around the American Southwest as it searches for...something. Lots of freaking out, "I've been kidnapped!" but also the shock and disbelief of what has kidnapped her and figuring out communication as time goes on.

The second is Voyagers by Meg Charlton which follows a twenty-something who was abducted by aliens as a small child and his search for meaning and numerous attempts throughout the years to convince his family and the world of his experience.

Apart from these, I wonder how she deals with the messages. Does she talk with friends or family, strangers on the street or her doctors about these messages? If she wakes in the morning to her things being rearranged at home--dirty dishes in the sink or scattered around the place--and it's clearly these "aliens", might she involve friends or the police in trying to capture the regular people doing this (because, of course, it's regular people playing an elaborate prank that is going way too far!) Once she learns they're aliens, does she go to an observatory or buy a telescope of her own to search for a spaceship in orbit? Maybe she attends a convention or local meeting of alien abductees and hears stories that are very different from hers.

I agree with Jonas regarding where to take the story. What is the tone of the story you want to tell?

Thank you for answering and I apologize for the delay in response! Thank you for the suggestions in books to read. They sound amazing as seeing how other people have taken similar but different concepts.

Yeah, my premise is that after she meets the woman at the grocery store who put a note on her shopping receipt (that another employee insists never worked there), that in the fairly early stages, she is contacted by these aliens and asked for secrecy. They won`t tell her what is going on or why they are doing such elaborate pranks on her. She agrees to keep it to herself. Should she trust them? And if she does keep it a secret, she stills has to cope with her life becoming some sort of experiment....show.....project...event that she can`t control.

I could see her attending an event on alien abductees, but in her case, she has agreed to keep her whole situation a secret. Sure, she could attend, but she couldn`t share any of her own experiences.

Thanks again for your thoughts!

 

[LayneAdrian]

Yeah, that's probably what sliding into madness feels like...or medication, possibly. I almost feel like she'd be trying to find Occam's Razor in all this. It'd all be so wild.



Could be a nice bit of tension, that inclination, that pull, to want to reply. After all, it's anonymous. There are tons of people posting on Reddit about "hypotheticals". Would she be tempted? Would she be afraid? What would she be afraid of happening? Would they hurt her? Maybe she even confronts one of them "hey, how do you know this?" "what do you want with me?"

How these "coincidental guests" reply could make for a very interesting exchange. Do they look at her like she's crazy? Do they wink and move on?



I feel like rationalization would be the first step, and again, depending on what kind of book you're writing, the next steps could be fear, looking for someone to protect her, maybe taking steps to protect herself, or if it's more lighthearted, maybe experimenting with them. Like, maybe she'd see if she can try learning Tagalog to see if a Filipino man enters her life. Maybe she'd start researching backyard landscaping ideas to see if a ground crew shows up to her house to make her dream come true lol.



Sure! Cool premise you have here. Could see it going a lot of different ways depending on the book you're looking to write.

I appreciate your thoughtful analysis and apologize for the long delay in replying. I have a chronic illness myself (which is why my friends and I had the discussion that inspired the idea for the book), but no aliens in my life, lol.

I love the idea of her taking different playful approaches to see how committed they are to the bit. Maybe she could start telling all of her friends that she has always wanted to go to Madrid, to see if they arrange a trip.

I`m thinking, right now, of writing it from the angle of a woman with a serious illness who is just trying to cope and recover, and unknown aliens are using her life for a stage production. It`s harmless - so far - but weird. I am thinking of writing sections where she is struggling to process her reality, maybe spiraling, and maybe even struggling mentally.

I guess the part I am stuck on the most is how a person could cope in a situation like that. (I`m trying to map out the whole story before I write too much, although I have some rough draft sections already written.) What will she do if she is getting scared or freaked out but can`t ask anyone for advice?

Anyway, thank you so much again!

 

[LayneAdrian]

Why does the MC believe the communication is most likely from aliens? Wouldn't a prank, AI or something else seem more likely to her?


As to how the MC will cope - that's what the story is. The plot is what the character does, and what the MC does ought not to be predictable.

Thanks for replying. I think Ariana believes they are aliens, because early on in the story, they appear to her, identify themselves, insist she promise secrecy, but refuse to explain their reasons. In my scrabbled first two chapters, she has experienced several odd coincidences that she assumes are just a coincidence or a prank, bur then the aliens reveal themselves to her.

I guess I am asking about the coping ideas, because I am not sure how to research the topic. In most situations, if a person is really stressed out, they could ask a friend for advice or see a therapist. In Ariana`s case, she has given her word to secrecy, meaning that she has nobody that she can talk to.

Some personalities would meditate, or go on shopping sprees, or lose themselves in mindless TV. I`m trying to compile a list of coping methods for a world changing experience when there are no resources that seem to fit. Anyway, thank you for taking time to respond!

 

[Stanley Steamboy]

Thanks for replying. I think Ariana believes they are aliens, because early on in the story, they appear to her, identify themselves, insist she promise secrecy, but refuse to explain their reasons. In my scrabbled first two chapters, she has experienced several odd coincidences that she assumes are just a coincidence or a prank, bur then the aliens reveal themselves to her.

I guess I am asking about the coping ideas, because I am not sure how to research the topic. In most situations, if a person is really stressed out, they could ask a friend for advice or see a therapist. In Ariana`s case, she has given her word to secrecy, meaning that she has nobody that she can talk to.

Some personalities would meditate, or go on shopping sprees, or lose themselves in mindless TV. I`m trying to compile a list of coping methods for a world changing experience when there are no resources that seem to fit. Anyway, thank you for taking time to respond!

What I was trying to get at in my previous post is that Ariana's reactions to her situation are the action of your story. Please don't fill pages with coping. Ariana is going to deal with her secret by taking action, and that action will make for a great story.

All action stories have moments when a 'reasonable person' would have pulled back, been more prudent or simply given up. But they run into the burning house instead, and the viewer/reader understands that taking action has become a need for that character, whether it seems rational or not.



I see this as similar to "worldbuilding". You don't give the details of a world because it makes for nice background, you give those details because they help construct the limitations and opportunities for plot action. Your character's needs and wants create a requirement for action that similarly become plot action. That's what your MC is there for - to make the plot happen. Let them. Just don't presume that their solution to the jeopardy has to be logical.

If you want to be sneaky about it, have Ariana doing things that seem trivial, but turn out to be carefully planned building blocks before she makes a big leap.