What if…? The writer’s perfect question

The question to end all questions- what if…? It is a writer’s treasure trove. It is how I began writing one of my recent screenplays.

I should have been paying attention the sermon in church and instead I was looking at the back of this woman in front of me and wondering if she would find love or if men would only see her as the wheelchair she sat in. My ‘what if’ question was ‘what if a woman in a wheelchair met the man least likely to see her as anything but the wheelchair?’

And thus became the start of a story that wouldn’t leave me for years. The woman became Daisy Parker, the man, Robby Grant, the screenplay, and then novel—Picking Daisy.

So how do you construct a great ‘what if’ question that will lead to a novel, screenplay, short story, or other work? In my case it boils down to a few key elements:

Curiosity- as writers we should be curious people. Asking ‘what if’ almost all the time about the people and things around us will provide no end of inspiration for writing
Engagement- although there will be times, of course, when we can’t just be thinking ‘what if…?’ otherwise, we’d get nothing done. That said, engaging with and paying attention to the world around us is essential to the successful and constant creation of ‘what if’ questions. In other, more direct words, pay attention
Creativity- the ‘what if’ question needn’t end after only one has been posed. Don’t hesitate to ask more than one of them until the right one that sparks your creativity strikes. Additionally, don’t let the more direct, easy answer to the ‘what if/\’ question be the only idea you embrace. Test drive a few until you find the one that fits your writing situation.
Answers- Answering the ‘what if’ question can be the most fun you’ll have with this experience. Once the right ‘what if’ question is formed, the real creativity begins. Your characters and scenarios will develop more easily and you’ll have fun experimenting with the many options available as answers to your questions.

The benefits of the ‘what if’ question can’t be overstated. Not only will it spark your creativity, it will also help you avoid that terrible problem of writer’s block.

So go ahead and try it. Take a look around you and ask ‘what if’ and see what happens. Comment below with any intriguing insights from your ‘what if’ experience.

Happy writing![image error]