lydsville:
Okay, so I've been really struggling with this story and I don't know why.
A few years ago, I was writing stories left and right for myself, I just saw an image by an artist online and then crafted a story around it very easily.
The way I did this was by essentially figuring out the inciting incident and working my way to the conclusion by acting the story out.
Now though, nothing seems to jump out at me. What does is either not that interesting (as in it sounds too generic of a weight gain story) or goes in a direction that's uncomfortable for me.
I've been trying to figure out one for my story and I just can't figure out anything.
So far all I know is that the story will be surreal, by which I mean the character will seemingly enter a new life of a new character and not be affected by it (well they will be but everyone else acts like nothing changed).
Our character wants her life to calm down and return to some sense of normal even if it's not the one she knew, she just wants everything to stop changing.
I don't know why everything's changing but I don't necessarily have to explain that anyway.
The lead will either start out skinny or fat, and if they start out fat then they'd basically be established as having always been a big girl and doesn't really care what others think of her fat or eating habits.
This idea actually works because I've also thought what if this girl has led a life where she usually eats whenever things aren't going so well and now eating is only leading to weight gain which is only making the reality shifting (that which made her uneasy) become worse.
So I just don't know how to send her into the reality shifting, or the conflict as given what we have so far then the reality shifting would just resolve on it's own and thus isn't one.
If I could figure out how to send her into that situation then I'd be set, but I have no idea. So my question is where can I get ideas for this, or if any similar stories exist.
Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.
I think you may be overthinking this. And also, you’ve done this before in your housewife prototype when the wife eats the spice and everything changes.
There are many examples of these kinds of shifts, and yes, they all seem cliche because we’ve seen them for ver and over. Some are magical shifts and some seem grounded in reality of brain chemistry and physics.
Saul gets struck by lightning on the way to Damascus and becomes Paul. Dorothy gets swept up ina tornado. George Bailey is visited by an angel who has the power to change the world. Mom and daughter get strange fortune cookie fortunes and wake up in each others’ bodies in Freaky Friday. Bill Murray awakens again and again to the same Groundhog Day radio music.
Getting hit on the head and awakening to a different world where everyone else has changed is rather common trope, as is going to sleep in this me reality and awakening in another.
Ask yourself what you want your protagonist to learn or accomplish as a result of this change, and do you want the change to be permanent (Saul to Paul) or temporary (Freaky Friday).
There is little new under the sun, but good luck trying to come up with something different. Maybe it can in some way match the reality shift. If this is about her suddenly becoming fat, maybe she purchases a magical scale to weigh herself, or tries on a bewitched dress or eats a new food (like your housewife).
I think no matter what you come up with, what you do to convince the reader of this new world is more important than how you get there.
What is most compelling in all these stories is what happens after the shift in reality. You need to bombard your reader with details, and your inciting incident takes on less importance.
I hope this has helped.
