Ideas & planning · Tip 5 of 82 · 4 min read
The Magic of "What If?"
One small "What if?" can grow into a whole story. Here's how to keep asking.
Two little words have started more stories than any others: "What if?" Asking one is easy. The real magic happens when you keep asking, and let each answer lead to a new question.
Start with something ordinary
The best what-if questions begin with something normal, then change one thing. Your reader already knows what a lunchbox, a lift or a library is like, so they notice the moment it goes strange.
- What if the school lift had a button for a floor that doesn't exist?
- What if every lost sock in the world ended up in the same town?
- What if your reflection started moving a second too late?
Build a what-if chain
One question is a spark. A chain of questions is a fire! Ask what if, answer it, then ask another what if about your answer.
What if the school lift had a secret floor? It's floor 7, and the school only has three floors. What if someone lives there? A tiny caretaker who fixes broken pencils. What if she needs help, and only Ravi can see the button? Now we have a hero, a secret and a problem. That's a story!
Flip a rule
Another trick is to turn a rule of everyday life upside down. What if children made the rules and grown-ups had bedtimes? What if it rained upwards? What if animals walked their humans? Flipping a rule makes a whole world feel new.
Find the problem
A what-if becomes a story when it causes trouble for someone. Ask: who does this matter to, and what goes wrong? A secret floor is interesting. A secret floor where someone is trapped is exciting.