A few friends and I have started a creative exercise we practice each day. We write a simple “what if” scenario and develop it…then share it with each other. It’s been a fantastic creative boost, plus it’s helped discipline our minds to be creative. This is especially a great project for aspiring fiction writers or inventors.
Just flow stream-of-consciousness and develop it. It doesn’t have to take more than a couple minutes. If you don’t want to use the idea, you don’t have to. If you come across something promising…use it!
So how about some examples of my own “What If’s” to get you started?
- What if Paris disappeared.
Instead of a bustling city it was suddenly just a huge span of grass.
The only remnant of the city was the very top of the Eiffel tower poking up 15 feet from the grass.
What happened to the city?
Some sort of unknown natural disaster?
Terrorism?
Isolated time-shifts?
Chemical spill?
Where did all the people go?
Did they get buried under ground?
What if there was one person who happened to be working on the top of the Eiffel tower that didn’t disappear. - What if there was an “accidental” superhero.
He never intentionally stopped crime…it was all accidental.
Why was he wearing a mask?
Why does he keep wearing a mask?
How does he keep stopping crime…what about him helps him stop crimes so consistently? - What if you could harness the particle nature of light to turn it solid.
You could essentially look like you can walk on air…
How would you do this?
Perhaps bombarding light with another type of particle or light…solidifying the light.
You would need to direct this interaction in order to keep from “sticking” everybody in the air where they are.
Imagine the adventures/books you could have with a guy who could harness light as if it were solid.
So the “What If” project is a time to ask a random “What If” question and then come up with responses to that question?
I just want to make sure I’m doing it right.
Thanks!
Exactly! Build a scenario…then fill in some of the details. 🙂
So the “What If” project is a time to ask a random “What If” question and then come up with responses to that question?
I just want to make sure I’m doing it right.
Thanks!
Exactly! Build a scenario…then fill in some of the details. 🙂