9 Generative Storytelling Games — Part 02

Storytelling is a generative act.

A generative act and a spiritual act.

For storytelling allows us to dive into the unending depths of ourselves, bringing forth that which we are and that which we wish to be and that which we dream.

And yet, those are lofty terms for something that can be, and should be, fun.

Fun. Delightful. Joyous. Playful.

You will, by reading this essay, learn all about three storytelling games that allow you to tell the stories only you can tell in a fun, delightful way.

Remembrances Of A Dream

To play this game, you must recall a dream that resonated with you.

Right after you recall this dream, you must consider what is present within the dream.

A set of images. A set of sounds. A set of moments. A set of moods. A set of scents.

And so on and so forth.

Each one of these elements is worth diving into.

Right as you recall these elements, allow yourself to turn them into something.

Or, more specifically, turn these elements into a story.

A story that works with what was present within the dream and, in doing so, serves to create something new and unique, that only you can create.

To accomplish this, you can, quite simply, turn your dream into a story.

Just take all of the moments and images and moods, but turn it into a story.

Or, you can transform some of those elements, and combine them with new elements, to create something similar to the dream, yet remarkably new.

Yet another way of doing this might involve taking two dreams and combining elements from the both of them to create a new dream, of sorts, with its own set of stories within a larger story.

Really, though, the possibilities are vast.

Every single one of these vast possibilities begins within your dreams.

Within the vast abundance of unique elements brought to life within your dreams.

Right after selecting a possibility — or a few — give yourself some time — twenty-minutes, at least; that is ideal — to create a story — or set of stories — that engage with what you’ve chosen.

You may be surprised at the beauty and richness found within your dreams and, in turn, the creative work that emanates from your play within those dreams.

Combining & Creating

Creativity is combining.

Or, at least, that’s what some people say.

I’m not sure if I agree with that, per se. But, there’s a lot of truth to the notion.

So much of creativity is taking distinctive elements and combining them.

The act of combining gives rise to a neverending abundance of new possibilities.

A clear example of this is this essay series, which is a combination of storytelling, various creative methods, creative writing exercises, and games.

Since this is the case, one of the best ways to come up with new stories is to combine a set of distinctive elements together, into something fundamentally new and unique.

To play this game, that is what you must do.

To do this, though, you must select the elements you wish to combine.

Right off the top of your head, there may be some themes or ideas you want to combine.

But, if there isn’t, you can read your old journal entries, think about your favorite stories, make a list of things that interest you; and so on and so forth.

Right after engaging with any of those practices, take a couple of elements from them — the more distinct they are from one another, the better — and combine them.

You can, by combining just two elements, bring an abundance of new possibilities to life.

Right after you find a few possibilities that intrigue you — storytelling and games, for example, although this essay series isn’t really a story — turn them into a story.

You can do this in many ways.

You can turn this into a series of ideas that can be used for a story.

You can begin writing a story and see what happens.

You can outline the world your new story is set in.

You can outline the characters this story will follow.

And so on and so forth.

No matter what, though, make sure to engage with the unique elements you’ve chosen.

You will, in doing so, discover an abundance of new storytelling possibilities.

A Special Ability

Our first game, in “9 Generative Storytelling Games — Part 01” was “Returning To A Lost Moment”.

“A Special Ability” is similar to “Returning To A Lost Moment”.

Right now, consider a moment in your life and, within that moment, consider the choices you made and, in turn, the path those choices brought forth.

Just take a moment to consider that moment.

Right after doing so, consider what would’ve happened if, in that moment, you possessed a unique ability that is, perhaps, fantastical, yet alluring.

Some examples of unique abilities include:

• Being Able To Download “Skills”
• Telepathy
• Invisibility
• The Ability To Fly
• Precognition
• Psychometry
• Super-Strength

And so on and so forth.

Really, the possibilities are endless.

Right after selecting a moment that intrigues you, and selecting an ability, allow yourself to return to that moment and, in turn, write out what would’ve happened, with your chosen ability.

Or, as an alternative, you can return to that moment and consider what would’ve happened had you possessed the wisdom and experience you possess right now.

No matter what you choose, though, make a genuine attempt to figure out what would’ve happened and, in turn, who you would be, and what you would be doing, right now.

You may not be surprised by what arises. But, at the same time, you might be.

Conclusion

Storytelling is meant to be fun.

My hope is that these games make storytelling fun for you.

Even more than that, my hope is that these games allow you to tell the stories that only you can tell.

Regardless of whether or not my intentions are brought to life, thank you so much for reading this essay!

You can, as always, reach me at “maxwellcakin@gmail.com”.

Best wishes and have a lovely day!