Rising Star Adventures and Beyond

Oct. 2023 prep beginning

Oct. 1: - 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 buried pets came back to life? What if dinosaurs were alive again?

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

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.


What if the cowboy gets falsely accused of murder?

What if cowboy goes on the run?

what if his mother is a widow and he was the only son?

What if he is accused of killing a sheriff?

What if there is a bounty on his head?

What if he can trust no one?

What if he accidentally falls in love with a judge's daughter?

What if she falls in love with him?

What if he wonders from town to town try to avoid arrest and bounty hunters?

What if he runs out of money and resources?

What if he is caught?

What if the law has to fight the bounty hunters to get him to trial?

What if he is injured on the way?

What if there was a witness to the incident that no one knows about that can prove his innocence?

What if he is hired to lead a wagon train to safety?

What if he still tries not to break the law while he is on the run?

What if some outlaws rescue him once?

What if he faces a lynch mob?