NaNoWriMo Prep Project

2021 - Plot: What if?

Oct. 01: - Plot: What If? ▼

Every good story starts with a 'what if'. What if a young boy discovers he's a wizard? What if a girl discovers a world hidden inside her wardrobe? What if there was a cemetery where pets came back to life if they were buried there? What if dinosaurs were real again?

In this exercise, imagine your story and your main character(s). Who is(are) the character(s)? Why do we care about them? What happens to them, and why is it a problem? (If it's not a problem, it's just life, not a story. )

Spend at least 15 minutes imagining all the possibilities in your story. Make a list of every possible 'what if' you can think of. Nothing is off limits here - let your brain go.

*** STILL NEED A STORY IDEA? Try the writing tools at the bottom of the calendar.

What is my 'what if'?
What if a young witch moves to the City and finds her first crush
The young witch is Zayda Gallagher. Her first crush is Trace Wilder.
Trace moves away from their small New England town after his abusive father is killed in an accident. An accident that Zayda's cousin, Angelica cast a spell for.... after the man turns his fists on his son. Trace was 14 then, Zayda was 12. Now she is 18. It is her first time leaving the shelter of her Aunts for any length of time. She is off to study Botany and Life Sciences at the university.
Zayda's cousin's in the City - Damian and Adwina have been keeping tabs on Trace. Damian is not welcome at the Newcombe Estate - Trace's maternal gradparent's home. They seem to know about and disprove of his magical roots. Trace's family went to stay there after the death of his father. His grandfather is also a bit of a tyrant. Trace still slips off to hang with Damian occasionally.
Trace runs in to Zayda at the univeristy. He is studying.... businesss with a (secret) minor in Journalism/ Creative Writing. His grandfather wants him to step up and take over the business. Trace is not so excited about that, but feels he owes the old man....
They threaten disowning him when he starts seeing Zayda... but he is able to stand up to his grandfather as he realizes the old man needs him more than he needs the family.
His mother is afraid Zayda had something to do with her husband's death.... and distrusts her because of that. His mother loved his father dispite the abuse.
Zayda may stop the old man from ranting on and on one eveing when she is there for dinner (?)
Later she may do something to 'win' Lorraine Newcombe Wilder's trust and acceptance - she either saves Trace's life or Lorranine's