Discussion All-purpose "What-ifs?"

I've been trying to come up with a list of basic plot seeds that can be used in any fandom or in original writing. These are the (usually) one-sentence ideas that describe what a story is "really about." They're simpler and less detailed than plot bunnies, and for that reason they're easier to export from one type of writing to another.

Some examples:

* What if an ordinary person found out they had to save the world?
* What if someone had to partner up with the most evil person in the world in order to stop the second most evil person in the world?
* What if you had to kill your best friend?
* What if you had to trust an enemy with your life?
* What if you were faced with a challenge that no one would blame you for failing?
* What if you had to save a friend from themselves?
* What if doing the right thing meant betraying the person you loved the most?
* What if somebody had to choose between two things that they loved?
* What if somebody had to choose between two things that they hated?
* What if someone fell in love with an enemy?

Since there are no One Rings, TARDISes, or sparkly vampires in those what ifs, they can be used to start a story anywhere. You just plug in your favorite characters or OC's, work out the logistics in your chosen universe, and you're off.

I'm trying to create a list of as many "What if's" as possible, the better to create stories with.

Does anybody else have more to add? (I mostly cribbed mine from favorite movies, fanfic, and profic stories.)

 

* What if you had to learn the truth about something but the only person who knew was a liar/conman/etc?
* What if you connected with someone who turned out to be really dangerous?
* What if the one thing you wanted in life was the one thing you were not able to do?
* What if your paranoia were justified and no one knew it?
* What if something you thought was fake turned out to be real?
* What if you had to choose between your friends and your family?
* What if you constantly had to pretend to be someone you weren't?


Those are some that I came up with based on thinking of some of my favorite films and the first thing that came to mind as far as the thrust of the premise.


-sj loves kevin spacey

 

What if everything you spent your life fighting for turns out to be a lie, or at least not as it seems?

What if someone you loved and you knew was good is accused of having done something terrible?

What if you had to choose between your life and atoning for your misdeeds?