This post is about a question. What if?
Instead of taking about the question and the meaning for your writing, I’m going to deep dive in and I’m sure you’ll see the benefit.
Ready?
Here we go.
What if.
What if I went on vacation on a boat a little sailboat with friends?
What if we were all having a great time…
What if we stopped to swim with dolphins?
What if we spent days on tropical shores and on the water soaking in the sun and using all my sunscreen because I’d burn…
What if a storm came up?
What if the boat sank?
What if I was the only one left…
and I had to swim past shark
And what if I looked up and only saw this?
And I got sad until I saw a little box floating in the water…and when I made my way over to it, I realized it floated? And what if I see an island in the distance and when I get to that island, it looks like this?
And what if, when I looked out to sea, all I saw was this?
And what if, when I went to open that little waterproof box, the bare minimum was available to me – what would I hope for? What if I could only take seven things and three books with me to this island?
Oh, goodness, what would it be?
7 Things I’d take to a Deserted Island
- A knife. For food preparation, hunting, and defense if necessary.
- A first aid kit. Because you never know what’s going to happen.
- Fishing line and hooks.
- A pot to cook in.
- My laptop and a solar power unit so that I can write my opus.
- The guy from Arrow – you know the one – Oliver Queen – because he can do pull ups and teach me how to live on a deserted island…
- Sunscreen.
Oh, my goodness, 3 books? Only 3? Why 3? It’s a random number, too many for one choice and too few to have a party…okay, here I go.
- Shakespeare’s The Tempest because it’s about people on an island
I have the guy from Arrow, so I don’t need the Special Forces Survival Guide…although, if he weren’t coming, this would be my second choice. Instead, I’m going with Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I’ve read it every year since I was in the play and have never gotten bored with it.
- Shakespeare’s The Tempest
- Tolkien’s The Hobbit
Ooh, only one more book. What will it be? Ooh, I’ve got it. The perfect desert island read.
- Shakespeare’s The Tempest
- Tolkien’s The Hobbit
- Bronislaw Malinowski’s Argonauts of the Western Pacific
And now, because we’re writers, I’m going to have the girl living in my head answer the same questions.
You ready?
Writers, Gaea. Gaea, meet the writers.
Hey.
Gaea, we’re doing a writing exercise and you’re volunteered, okay?
But I have to save the world…Keston’s up to something horrible and…
Nope, this is more important. We can discuss what happens in the next chapter later. Okay?
You’re saying this is more important than saving the world?
Okay, as equally important. Now work with me, okay? I promise we’ll figure out the K thing later.
Fine. Let’s get this over with.
Now, pretend for a second that you’re going to be trapped on a deserted island.
Is this on Earth? Cause Earth’s about to…
Alternate Earth – what’s happening in your book isn’t happening okay?
Sure. Go ahead and change everything about it.
Go with me.
Okay, alternate planet earth.
And you can only take 7 things. What would they be?
My guitar.
A gun.
Leaky [best friend/alien dog]
Water. Wait, is there a water source?
Sure.
Then no water – I’d find it there. Ooh, is this trapped for a long time, or a bit to get rescued?
Assume no rescue that you’re on an island and no one is going to find you for a long time.
Sounds like paradise. Okay, So
- my guitar
- a weapon
- Leaky
- a change of clothes
- a bikini
- a hatchet so I can build a house
- and a cloaking device so no one can find me.
Can I go there now?
No, you still have things to do in your series.
Oh. Is that all?
No. One more question. What three books would you bring with you?
Darlene, I’d be a little busy to read, don’t you think? Ya know…surviving?
No. You’re doing homework in my head now so what’s the deal?
Okay, three books: the Intergalactic Opus of PDW, a book of the best world poetry…weren’t expecting that, were you? ha ha I’m joking, I’d take Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practices by Colin Renfrew, and The Archaeology of Death and Burial by Michael Pearson.
Thanks, E. You can head back to the alien zone now.
K.
Welcome back, writer.
I bet if you’re anything like me, you have these conversations all the time with the people in your head. No, we aren’t crazy…we’re creative.
But now let’s put it in your zone.
You’re stuck on the island.
Challenge: write the questions and the answers for you and your main character. See how you would do and how they would do.
Here’s hoping we’d all survive…
Write on,
Darlene
