How to Ask 'What If' When Writing - And Get the Results You're Looking For

There was a comic book published by Marvel called "What If." It worked like this: A character like Spider Man or Wolverine was taken and put in a situation different than their natural history. What if Spider Man's uncle Ben was not killed? What if Wolverine never joined the X-Men and joined the bad guys? As writers we can use this same story to enliven not only our stories but our characters. Writing "what if" is an exercise we can use when blocked, when we want to use the same character in a different way, and lets us approach the story in a different way.

If Marvel could tell stories of the Fantastic Four, Spider Man, and Wolverine in different situations so can you. Try a few exercises. What if that short story was in the present tense? What if the narrator of the novel actually died at the end instead of succeeded? What if the love of the protagonist's life was killed? It opens up a world of possibilities. When we are blocked this is crucial. We can write the same story, no new idea needed, and either improve on what it is, or just find some back story for the character which can be used. The best way to defeat writer's block is to ask these questions. Obviously there are more, but consider fighting back by sticking with the same stories and just altering them.

So we can use the same character, but it does not have to be obvious. We can work out a mystery on the character that needs to be solved. Perhaps we do not know who the narrator is initially. Or we question if he is truly a hero, or, on the other hand, a villain pretending to be one. We can alter some things about them. Changing the name is key because, when writing, writers tend to write the same stories over and over. Stephen King wrote about struggling writers, perhaps because of their alcoholism. Paul Auster dreamed up surreal mysteries where the true situation was always in question-it left the reader wondering, and asking what if questions.

We do all of this to approach the story in a different light. We can fight being blocked all we want, but the new ideas will have to come. We can read a story, ask a what if question, and build from there. Do not worry about having the original idea, because there are plenty of writers who never find one. Worry about changing the situation, asking the right questions, and building the narrative from there.