"Stop doing that!", Ali demanded.
"Do what?", I replied.
"Starting a story mid-conversation", he explained. It seemed that he wasn't a fan of my style of writing.
"Listen, I know I asked you for your opinion about my book", I objected "But I don't understand the issue with starting a story like that"
"Well", he elaborated "I could see it working in a movie but in a book, like where are the characters? Are they sitting or standing? Hell, are they the only ones in the place? Are there people around them? How many? You're not setting the scenes properly"
"I agree with Ali", Nada added "Also you may want to cut out narrating your stories from the main character's perspective, Amir. It is kinda lazy"
"Oh...", I said in the face of what seemed like harsh criticism "I will stop doing that. I also will aim at setting the scenes better"
Amir felt uncomfortable as he thought of all the changes he has to make once again to his book. He looked lost as he stared at all the characters in his book, about fifty-eight people sharing a large meal as a warm summer sun shined through on the big table he set outside his house.
"There, was that so hard?", Ali said "Now the scenes make more sense"
"Yes", Amir replied "It took a month and a half to redo everything"
The feast has now lasted a month and a half as Amir saw autumn approaching through the view of trees losing some of their leaves.
"Also", Ali added "You don't have to say everything in a fancy way, characters can simply know what time it is by looking at their phones"
Amir nodded in agreement as he realized that he realized it was autumn by simply checking the calendar on his phone.
"Also, my plan shouldn't have been spoiled", Ali continued "But what do I know? I am just the antoganist"
"Well", I explained "I can't end the story with the bad guy winning. That would send the wrong message"
"But, does having the protagonist be extremely lucky send the right message?", Ali continued "Also, does he even have a good reason to chase after me?"
"Hey!!", objected Salah, the story protagonist "I detest that statement, sir. I am noble, brave, and kindhearted. I definitely wanted to stop you from doing that ultimately evil thing you wanted to do by my own merits"
"No one is objecting to your ethics here", Ali replied "And it was indeed inspiring how you came after while having to deal with that personal issue and family trauma that juxtaposition with the thing I wanted to do. But, still, you needed a bigger motivation"
Ali turned to Amir and asked, "Couldn't I just succeed with my plan because it was brilliant and as for your message, I could just get hit by a bus in the end?"
"Well, no", Amir replied "The story needs to make sense"
"It does make sense", Ali refuted "Thousands of people die annually due to car accidents. Maybe hundreds of thousands, wait, let me check"
Silence ensues at the table as Ali searches through his phone.
"Yes, here it is", Ali said as he read from his phone "
Approximately 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes according to www dot who dot int forward-slash news dash room forward-slash fact dash sheets forward-slash detail forward-slash road dash traffic dash injuries"
"I don't think you needed to spell out the entire link", Amir replied "Things can't just happen randomly in a story. It doesn't need to be logical, it needs to be a complete circle with everything in it making sense."
"What?", asked Ali.
"Doesn't matter", Amir surrendered "I am going to rewrite it now"
Another two months passed as the feast kept going.
"Alright, guys", Amir addressed his guests "What do you all think?"
"Why did you kill me?", Nada screamed.
"I have to kindly agree with lovely Nada here", Salah added
"So early on as well", Nada said.
"I needed a better motivation", Amir explained "You are the protagonist's love interest"
"So you have this asshole kill me?", Nada voiced her objection.
"I don't mind that she died, to be honest", Ali said with a grin.
"What are you? Christopher Nolan?", Nada continued with her objection "Your protagonist needed a 'better motivation' so you decided to kill me and stuff me in the refrigerator?"
"Also, isn't her death on page 122?", Salah asked "How come I have a meeting with her on page 188?"
"What?!", Amir shouted in disbelief.
"Yeah, and I still give her coffee on page 202", said an extra in the book.
"Noooo!", Amir was quickly realizing his mistakes.
"Yeah, and she shoots my foot on page 252 still", Ali added.
Amir grabbed his head as he went through the pages of his book before letting out a final scream "FUUUUUUUUCK!"
Six months passed, Amir has thoroughly rewritten the book.
"Alright", said a frustrated "This is the last time we are having this discussion. Share your feedbacks"
"Okay....", Ali said as he looked around "Who the hell are all of these new people?!"
Amir looked around to see that his long table has become never-ending with all kinds of people sitting at it. With laser points all around from snipers on the surrounding rooftops, hundreds of apes wearing suits, and a dark green angry elephant with horns coming out of its forehead.
"You know what?", Amir stood "It is hell trying to sit and write a story. You have to write all these characters, with reasons to care about them or hate them. Also, I have serious concerns that I might be a sociopath whenever I write something bad happening to someone. Like, do I want to kill people? Do I, deep inside want something to blow up? I might be actually insane. So, give me a break!"
"And who is this new guy in a fancy suit?", Nada asked as she ignored Amir's plea.
"He is my mentor, my love", Salah replied "Apparently, Ali's plan was too smart for just to stop it"
"Hold on a second", Ali interjected "Rich orphan, parents died after getting shot in an alley, became a ninja and returned to clean the city of bad people"
Ali looks baffled as he stared at Amir "Dude, did you seriously rope in Batman into your story?"
"Oh my God!", Amir realized "That's why it was so easy to write his character.
"How come you are having a feast with your fictional characters by the way?", Nada asked.
"I can't answer this question without breaking a certain type of wall", Amir answered.
"Final question", Ali pointed behind Amir "What the hell is that?"
Amir looked to where Ali pointed to find a big body made out of more body parts than it knew what to do with, sawn together by a thread.
"Oh...", Amir tried to explain "I may have tried to connect this book to my The Horror Of Baghdad series"
"What?!", Ali screamed "You haven't finished this book and you are already connecting it to something else you haven't finished"
"You know what?", Amir surrenders "I am done"
A big bus comes crashing into the table as Amir deletes the word document of the book from his laptop.