Incongruity As A Brainstorming Tool
Something that really clicked for me in making story elements interesting is the process of asking myself, "What wouldn't you expect?"
I've had a lot of trouble getting stories off the ground in the past. Sometimes I'll have one character I love, but can't find much spark for the rest of the cast. Or maybe I'll have characters, but nothing interesting about where they live and work. I've spent countless hours pondering how to turn a main cast member from "pretty interesting" to "totally lovable," and hitting my head against a wall. Nothing kills stories faster for me than persistently feeling lukewarm about parts of them.
But one day I tried a new approach. I'm pretty sure it was inspired by a Writing Excuses episode, but I can't remember which one. I sat myself down and said, "What's the opposite of what you'd expect?" The answer was surprisingly attractive. I asked myself again, and again. Everything I applied it to instantly became more interesting.
I remember the first character I tried this on. After getting completely sick of a project that wasn't going anywhere, I started fresh. I wanted an underground setting, and had decided the main character would be a cavern guide--someone who knows everything about survival, first aid, and how to get from A to B in the labyrinthine network of tunnels. This wasn't terribly exciting, so I said, "What's incongruous with that?" Well, a cave guide who's afraid of the dark. Why would he be afraid of the dark? Perhaps he had a terrible trauma in the caves. Maybe he had to crawl through the darkness injured, alone, afraid. Hmmm, this is sounding like some pretty compelling backstory.
Let's throw some ideas around. For each one, what's something incongruous with that person/place?
That is literally with about five seconds thought per point, and already I'm impressed at how fun and creative these people and places sound. This technique works so well! They're only jumping-off points, but heck, I can start thinking of some stories based on those.
It all comes back to asking myself what's the last thing you'd expect. My mantra now is always: What's incongruous with that?
I've had a lot of trouble getting stories off the ground in the past. Sometimes I'll have one character I love, but can't find much spark for the rest of the cast. Or maybe I'll have characters, but nothing interesting about where they live and work. I've spent countless hours pondering how to turn a main cast member from "pretty interesting" to "totally lovable," and hitting my head against a wall. Nothing kills stories faster for me than persistently feeling lukewarm about parts of them.
But one day I tried a new approach. I'm pretty sure it was inspired by a Writing Excuses episode, but I can't remember which one. I sat myself down and said, "What's the opposite of what you'd expect?" The answer was surprisingly attractive. I asked myself again, and again. Everything I applied it to instantly became more interesting.
I remember the first character I tried this on. After getting completely sick of a project that wasn't going anywhere, I started fresh. I wanted an underground setting, and had decided the main character would be a cavern guide--someone who knows everything about survival, first aid, and how to get from A to B in the labyrinthine network of tunnels. This wasn't terribly exciting, so I said, "What's incongruous with that?" Well, a cave guide who's afraid of the dark. Why would he be afraid of the dark? Perhaps he had a terrible trauma in the caves. Maybe he had to crawl through the darkness injured, alone, afraid. Hmmm, this is sounding like some pretty compelling backstory.
Let's throw some ideas around. For each one, what's something incongruous with that person/place?
- A soldier? -> Collects pressed flowers. Keeps big books of them in his trunk.
- A librarian? -> Head of an underground movement. Maybe heavyweight lifts as a hobby!
- A greenhouse? -> On top of a skyscraper. Or an airplane!
- A farming community? -> Suspended on platforms on a gas giant.
- A young girl? -> Powerful necromancer.
- Swimming pool? -> In a zero-G space ship.
That is literally with about five seconds thought per point, and already I'm impressed at how fun and creative these people and places sound. This technique works so well! They're only jumping-off points, but heck, I can start thinking of some stories based on those.
It all comes back to asking myself what's the last thing you'd expect. My mantra now is always: What's incongruous with that?
This type of thinking can really inspire interest in readers. If too many characters follow the stereotype, there will be nothing interesting or new to learn about them. I especially like the zero-G space ship swimming pool. It really gets you thinking. I wonder how buoyancy works in zero g since there is technically no up or down. I refer to this as the 'what-if' mind frame, and it really helps inspire some really cool story ideas.
ReplyDeleteI think its also important to have ordinary characters thrown into the mix. Its pretty unrealistic to have every single person defy stereotypes.
Great post,
Philip
pakramer.com
I was pondering that, too. Considering astronauts do space training underwater, I wonder what the subjective experience/difference would be like. Though if you're on a ship, you wouldn't be in a suit. Really would be interesting to explore!
DeleteOrdinary, pah! Maybe for side characters.
I really like this suggestion. It's so simple and I can see how it's been done in other books I've read before, but I've never seen it articulated so clearly before.
ReplyDeleteThank Writing Excuses for explaining it so clearly! I've been really impressed at how such a simple concept has helped me so much.
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