Craft stories that resonate with your heart and soul.
In a world where all stories are high-concept, one writer dares to dream of the most outrageous ideas imaginable. He’s on a mission to create the most mind-bending, reality-defying story the world has ever seen. In a landscape where every story must be bigger, bolder, and more bizarre than the last, this writer will stop at nothing to concoct a tale so wacky, so wild, that it will leave readers questioning their very existence. The world will never be the same.
Strategy:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world where gravity works in reverse, or where everyone communicates through interpretive dance? Welcome to the wonderful world of wacky world-building! Today, we'll unleash our imaginations and create a high-concept story idea that's as crazy as it is captivating. The challenge? Making sure our zany concept has enough substance to sustain a full-length novel. But don't worry, we'll break it down step by step, exploring the opportunities and constraints of our chosen concept, and discovering the unique reader experience it can offer.
Instructions:
Concept Creation: Dream up the most outlandish, high-concept story idea you can imagine. The sky's the limit, so don't be afraid to let your imagination run wild!
Rationale Revelation: Develop a rationale behind your crazy concept. What's the method behind the madness? This will help ground your idea and make it feel more believable.
Opportunity Outburst: Brainstorm all the exciting opportunities and possibilities your concept opens up. What kind of adventures, conflicts, or character arcs could arise in this world?
Constraint Contemplation: Consider the limitations and challenges your concept imposes. How might these constraints shape the story and the characters' journeys?
Experience Exploration: Put yourself in the reader's shoes. What kind of unique, immersive experience would they crave from this high-concept world?
Amplification Adventure: Take the reader experience you identified and crank it up to eleven! How can you amplify the excitement, wonder, or emotional impact of your story world?
Tags: world-building, high concept, brainstorming, creative writing, storytelling
Category: Story Development > Brainstorm Concepts
Example:
Concept Creation: In a world where people's shadows come to life at night and have their own society, a shadow commits a crime and its human counterpart is held responsible.
Rationale Revelation: The shadows are a reflection of humanity's dark side, and their actions are influenced by their human's suppressed desires and fears.
Opportunity Outburst: Exploring the duality of human nature, moral dilemmas, secret shadow societies, and the power struggle between humans and their shadows.
Constraint Contemplation: Shadows can only interact with the world at night, limiting the time frame for action. While humans are aware of their shadows, they are unable to interact.
Experience Exploration: Readers would want to experience the thrill of uncovering the hidden shadow world and the psychological tension of confronting one's own dark side.
Amplification: The human protagonist finds himself in the shadow world with his shadow. The man would have to decide if he can trust his own shadow. And, it could be given a film noir feel as the man and his shadow try to clear their name and uncover the truth behind the shadow crime.