BAD seeds

So what is it? Where’s the attraction?

We’re not great writers. Certainly not all of us, and with the insanity of the story to deal with, there is only so much that even the best can do.

We’re not that funny. I mean, we are – I laugh – but we wouldn’t be considered that funny by most other people. A lot of the humour is in-jokes, and 50% of the time it’s in-jokes that have been done a million times before.

We’re certainly no good at either creating a credible plot or keeping it straight once we do. And can anybody remember a time when we haven’t somehow ended up in interconnecting caves?

And there is always a certain lethargy associated with BADs, isn’t there? It strikes somewhere around page 4, and usually manifests as unnecessary plot twists, uninspired posts and characters disappearing as their owners forget about it.

So why do I love them so? I have never sat one out, even when I really should have done. I don’t want this one to stop. I am incredibly awful at pretending to be a clone, but that doesn’t make me write short posts. I find myself sneaking on the internet at work just to see if anyone’s figured out something to do with the genetically modified pigs yet. In the evenings, going back every hour or so to see whether anyone has come up with something that can surprise a shout of laughter out of me.

And here, I think, is the crux: I would never bother writing a humorous story myself. Even though it would be a lot easier to keep track of, and it would still amuse me, and I’d end up a lot happier with the plot. But there is something about the fact that it’s all of us writing it. Something about seeing your character written in by other people, seeing them pick up an idea you’ve introduced and run with it. Okay, so there’s the more obvious popularity contest of the quote thread, but the BAD itself gives you the glowing knowledge that other people have read your posts, and that they have liked something in them enough to carry it on in theirs. That’s…nice.

So here’s to the BAD. There’s nothing quite like it.