Switched my prompt from a desert to a flooded city and the story wrote itself

I was stuck on a sci-fi piece, so I changed the setting from a dry wasteland to a submerged Atlanta. The characters suddenly had immediate problems to solve, like finding air pockets and avoiding mutated wildlife. Has forcing a drastic setting change ever unlocked a story for you?

3 comments

3 Comments

hollyl4524d ago

I got a fantasy novel moving by swapping a peaceful forest for a salt flat with moving islands. The lack of water and shifting ground created instant conflict for the whole plot.

seth_harris3624d ago

So did you just replace all the trees with giant salt shakers?

jordan90324d ago

What's the weirdest setting swap that ever worked for you? I love how @hollyl45's moving islands forced constant action, and your flooded city sounds just as tense. It seems like putting characters in a fight for basic survival cuts out all the boring setup.