Pure Writerly Moments (Blog Posts, Short Stories, and Musings on the Craft)

The Letter - (Statues in the Cloud Tease # 2)

[Another tease from my work-in-progress novel, Statues in the Clouds.]

The Synopsis - One day, a writer in Japan receives a letter from a young fan who is dying from a mysterious disease. The young fan gives the writer a challenge -- come to Nagasaki and help me find seven pieces of a statue. If you can help me do this simple thing, she tells him, you will have cured me. What the writer soon finds out is that finding the seven pieces means telling the stories of seven unique individuals.   

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Dear Mr. Writer of the One Most Amazing Books Ever Written that Gives Me Hope:

Long ago, you wrote a true story (not a novel as many believe) about a boy who is able to go to an island to get a new heart. He believes his heart is turning to stone. Now, here I sit on my bed, with a heart that is turning to stone (for real, no joke), and other internal organs that are hardening. I need your to help me find something, anything that will save me. Maybe that something is you and your stories. Maybe it's a person who can show me the island. Maybe it's one of these things, but I think it's something different.

I have an idea.

Are you curious? Do you want to find out what the idea is?

Sometimes writers have to be the heroes of their own tales. It's been a long time since I've seen anything of yours in print. What happened to you? Did your imagination dry up? I don't think so. I think you're just waiting for something. Maybe it's this letter from a sick girl who lives someplace you used to know well. Maybe you need an adventure. I know I do.

Come to Nagasaki and bring all your story-telling power with you. But be warned, it is not so easy to save girls with hearts that turn to stone. It will take more than silly sentiment this time. We must endeavor to learn all we can about evil and virtue.

Oh, by the way, I know that you're probably very busy and don't have time for one lonely fan. If that's the case, just send me a picture of you smiling. I actually have no idea what you look like in real life. Since the book was written many years ago, I imagine that you are an old man by now. If that's the case, just give me an old man smile to ease the heart of a girl who is slowly turning to stone.

Sincerely,

Aya Kobayashi