Story Ideas in the News - Are you ready for 666 day?

• For horror/thriller writers:

Tomorrow is June, 6 2006. Which also translates to 06/06/06 (no matter which convention you use), or 666.
Those interested in the "number of the beast" as mentioned in the Book of Revelation (or the The Apocalypse of John), or those believing it is Satan's mark can write interesting stories about tomorrow.

Of course, I couldn't just let this 666 business go without saying what researchers think about it:

'Revelation' author, John of Patmos, traditionally believed to be St. John the Apostle, was writing to other persecuted Christians in code, according to Stevens, so "many of the strange elements in 'Revelation' signify events, people or institutions familiar to first-century Christians.

"The mark of the beast, 666, signifies those in thrall to the emperor and thus opposed to Christianity, and is most probably the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew letters for Nero," Stevens says.

The article also mentions of the many conspiracy theories associated with the number 666. Too many good plot lines from this (another Da-Vinci Code perhaps?)

Last on the subject - I once took one of those psychosometric exams and got 666 - do you think I'm marked?

• For science-fiction writers:

Instead of volunteering your unused CPU time to aide SETI, why not use it to help the US government patrol the Mexican/US border?

Think of the possibilities: Mexico has a terrible plague going on and the borders are closed. You do your part - you watch the web cams that are stationed along the border all day while on the internet. One day you spot an intruder on the live surveillance footage. You call the free hotline but they have already been compromised and are most likely dead. In short, they don't answer so it's up to you to notify people to the danger. To save the world.

Oh, I don't know. Or something like that...

Categories: writing, plot, science-fiction, genre, ideas