[ABANDONED ISSUE CONTEST DRAFT] We Didn’t Start The Fire

[Esthe]

DESCRIPTION: After a recent fire at a concert in @@NATION@@, which left a quarter of its audience dead and even more injured, it has been discovered that just one or two sprinkler systems would have stopped the fire before it got out of control. The victims’ families are demanding justice for their loved ones.

OPTION 1: “From now on, all buildings in @@NATION@@ must have adequate sprinkler systems to prevent me from going through this again,” sobs @@RANDOM_FEMALE_NAME@@, mother of one of the victims, as she dabs her eyes with a handkerchief. “Please, @@RANDOM_MALE_NAME@@ would have wanted it.”

FALLOUT 1: firefighters are left without a job as sprinkler systems take over the world.

OPTION 2: “We can go even further than that,” says your Minister Of Construction, @@RANDOM_MALE_NAME@@, attempting to fold a blueprint. “From now on, all buildings in @@NATION@@ must be made of fireproof material.” Exasperated, he finally gives up on closing the blueprint.

FALLOUT 2: forests are thriving as stone is slowly mined extinct.

OPTION 3: A rather unkempt man stumbles up to your desk. “This all wouldn’t’ve happened if youse hadn’t gone heads first into civilisations. Demolish all signs that youse ever existed and youse won’t have no more fires. And if youse don’t,” he swings a club in what he thinks is a threatening gesture.

FALLOUT 3: grandparents reminisce over cooked dinosaurs about the good old days in which they sat down and watched television.

[Ko-oren]

There's a lot of overlap with #1441 and especially #1320. In fact, the premise and the obvious options are just about exactly the same as 1320.

Do fires not exist in completely primitive societies?

The options are also light on characterisation and a little short.

[Esthe]

There's a lot of overlap with #1441 and especially #1320. In fact, the premise and the obvious options are just about exactly the same as 1320.

Do fires not exist in completely primitive societies?

The options are also light on characterisation and a little short.

There’s definitely an overlap with 1320. In fact, i think that they’re based on the exact same incident, but 1320 has a little twist with the revolving door. I’ll have to figure out a twist that makes it different from it. I don’t think 1441 has any overlap though.

I thought about the last option a bit. I think it’s just because the only thing that would be damaged would be the surrounding wildlife, and that wouldn’t really affect the nation much because they could just go somewhere else.

I know that the options are light on characterization and short. How could I change them?

[Ko-oren]

There’s definitely an overlap with 1320. In fact, i think that they’re based on the exact same incident, but 1320 has a little twist with the revolving door. I’ll have to figure out a twist that makes it different from it. I don’t think 1441 has any overlap though.

I thought about the last option a bit. I think it’s just because the only thing that would be damaged would be the surrounding wildlife, and that wouldn’t really affect the nation much because they could just go somewhere else.

I know that the options are light on characterization and short. How could I change them?

I think the overlap with 1320 is too much, but I'd like to hear from someone else what they think.

Characterisation is something I recognise but I'm not a grandmaster at myself. Something that can help is to describe the actions of the people in options 1 and 2: what are they doing that underlines their point? Another detail about their clothing, gesturing, or something else that's notable and adds to (or detracts from) their argument?

[Esthe]

I added a bit more detail into the options.

[Electrum]

I agree with Ko-oren that the overlap is too much. In saying that, I think with the way you have this issue written, you could repurpose it to a related topic, which is "who should be punished?" and who has the duty of care?

For example, the pursuit of criminal charges in the Grenfell Tower case -- Who is to blame? Is it the owners? The management company? The people who built the building? Buyers remorse? Act of God? That's a far more effective way of "demanding justice for their loved ones" over asking that sprinklers be installed in every building.

[Noahs Second Country]

I agree with Ko-oren that the overlap is too much. In saying that, I think with the way you have this issue written, you could repurpose it to a related topic, which is "who should be punished?" and who has the duty of care?

For example, the pursuit of criminal charges in the Grenfell Tower case -- Who is to blame? Is it the owners? The management company? The people who built the building? Buyers remorse? Act of God? That's a far more effective way of "demanding justice for their loved ones" over asking that sprinklers be installed in every building.

I agree with all of the above.

I'd also like to add -- if you're going to use the song name, I expect a character to randomly exclaim a bunch of nonsense like the song does .

[Esthe]

Ok, given that the issue contest is over now, I’ll try to refine this and submit it in the next year’s contest. I will think about all your suggestions.

[Esthe]

I agree with Ko-oren that the overlap is too much. In saying that, I think with the way you have this issue written, you could repurpose it to a related topic, which is "who should be punished?" and who has the duty of care?

For example, the pursuit of criminal charges in the Grenfell Tower case -- Who is to blame? Is it the owners? The management company? The people who built the building? Buyers remorse? Act of God? That's a far more effective way of "demanding justice for their loved ones" over asking that sprinklers be installed in every building.

I agree with all of the above.

I'd also like to add -- if you're going to use the song name, I expect a character to randomly exclaim a bunch of nonsense like the song does .

I’ll probably make the pseudo-caveman/redneck in the last option do it .