Thursday, April 26, 2012

W is for What If

While some have too many ideas, there are others who struggle to find something to write. Sometimes, a solution to that is a What If question. I even have a writing contest on writing.com where the prompts are worded in What If questions. Though I try not to ask myself too many of them because I don't need any more story ideas currently, lol.


What if...?
“What if” questions are useful for writing because they can be a catalyst to our creativity. The question can force the writer or be used to make the characters face new scenarios, new possibilities and new assumptions. It is a basic approach in that all you have to do is start the question with "what if" and go from there.


Examples:

What if.....     there is free will?
                      everything is pre-determined?
                      there is no meaning to life?
                      you were the only person alive?

                      the people revolt against the government?
                      privacy is no longer a right?
                      guns are outlawed?

                      aliens are peaceful?
                      the sun explodes?
                      an asteroid hits the Earth?
                      animals can speak our language?
                      animals revolt against the humans?
                      pizza is deemed unholy?
                      trees start walking?
                      rain falls up?
                      technology takes over?
                      we stop using technology?
                      work is a prison?
                      kids revolt against their parents?





Web sites:
http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/plot-outline.html
http://stratecutionstories.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/the-power-of-what-if/
http://www.ehow.com/how_2193528_brainstorm-short-story-novel-ideas.html
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=whatif
http://www.fiction-writers-mentor.com/random-plot-generator.html



What if...?
Do you use What If questions?

4 comments:

Denise Covey said...

Hey Dawn you've given me some ideas to explore in the future. Thanks. I'm never short of ideas but it never hurts to pursue interesting questions like this.

BTW JJ is on my blog today.

I hope when this A-Z junket is over you might write for us at RFW even if occasionally. I'd love to have you and it'll get you a wider audience. We have updated the Submission Guidelines and I thought you might be able to write an interesting story using the May 4 prompt.

Thank you for your support during the challenge. I'm just limping to the finish line.

Denise

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Colin Smith said...

"What ifs..." are very useful for getting story ideas. And they don't have to just spring to the imagination. You could be watching a movie or a TV show exploring one "what if" that makes you think "yeah, but what if...?" Or perhaps there's something that happened to you, and you wonder "what if I'd done x, or if y had happened instead...?" For some this can be a source of regret, for a writer, it's a story idea... :)

Dawn Embers said...

Denise - Thanks for the comment. I'm a little late but trying to catch up. Looks like we both may be limping to the finish line.

dyanhares - Thanks for commenting one my post. Glad you liked it.

Colin Smith - They are quite useful, what if questions. :-)