What If - The Two Most Powerful Idea Generating Words for Fiction: Part 1

What if represents endless possibility. It represents all that will or can be. The first level of what if is to ask what if as it might apply to you, the writer.  These what ifs can be ordinary or fantastic. You know yourself and can create endless stories from pairing the words what if with an endless variety of interesting situations. 

Pick up any newspaper or magazine select a story and ask yourself what if you were entangled in that ordinary event or story?  How would you react? What would you do? How would it impact your life?

• What if you lost your job tomorrow?
• What if you were accused of murder?
• What if you found yourself as a victim of a kidnapping on a family vacation?
• What if there was a catastrophic earthquake in your town today?
• What if you suddenly lost your hearing?
• What if you witnessed a crime that required you to become part of Witness Protection?

You can also look at it as an imagination game, and ask yourself what if using fantastic ideas and events that don’t seem possible or believable.

Courtesy of Colin Kinner via Flickr

• What if I wake up tomorrow and the zombie apocalypse has begun?
• What if you discovered that you could use magic?
• What if you could go back in time and change one thing about your life?  What would it be?
• What if you suddenly got a huge promotion at work, but it has a catch?
• What if you won $200 million dollars in the lotto?
• What if you encountered Bigfoot during a walk in the woods at a state park?
• What if you had dreams that could predict the future at times?
• What if your intelligence doubled overnight?

These are just a few examples of what if questions.  Come up with a list of your own with you in the starring role.