THE MIRROR PORTAL
Imagine a scene where your protagonist stumbles upon a mysterious portal that transports them to a parallel world. This world is vastly different from his familiar surroundings, almost the complete opposite. A mirrored world!
THE HESITANT HERO CROSSROADS
This writing exercise is inspired by The Quest archetype. It focuses on one key moment or decision within the larger quest. Imagine this would be the last and biggest challenge the hero has to overcome. If they fail, all will be lost forever…
REVERSE RAGS TO RICHES
Christopher Booker’s “Rags to Riches” archetype is one of the seven basic plots he identified in his book “The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories.” This archetype typically involves a protagonist starting in a lowly state and experiencing a rise in fortune or personal development.
OVERCOMING THE MONSTER
What kind of monsters are we facing in our current reality? Can you come up with a community that isn’t a small idyllic mountain village?
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER’S SEVEN BASIC PLOTS
Booker explores the idea that all stories can be categorized into seven archetypal plots. According to Booker, these seven basic plots are deeply rooted in human experience and have been repeated throughout literature and storytelling across cultures and time periods.
SHARED IN SILENCE
Portray the daily life of an elderly couple who has shared 45 years of marriage. Explore three distinct segments of their day where they find themselves in each other’s company, yet do not communicate verbally.
CLASSIC STORY STRUCTURE
Pick a story or a book that you have read recently or a movie or play that you have seen. Write a synopsis of the story using the classic story structure elements.
BAD STUFF MUST HAPPEN
If nothing bad happens to your main character you don’t have a story. For the empaths among you who have trouble giving their characters a hard time, here is a list of 30 terrible things that could happen to them!
WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED?
Focus on the events or decisions that led to the dystopian future. Write a short story or a series of scenes that depict the critical turning point.