9 Generative Storytelling Games — Part 03

Just yesterday, “9 Generative Storytelling Games — Part 02” was published.

Right within that essay, are 3 storytelling games.

Our first post in this series — “9 Generative Storytelling Games — Part 01” also contains 3 games.

Since this is the case, the essay you are about to read contains the final 3 games.

My hope is that, in reading this essay, you feel inspired to tell the stories only you can tell.

Even more than that, though, my hope is that you enjoy this essay and that this act of enjoyment leads to unique stories that you enjoy putting together.

A New World

Every single game in this series is strictly focused on telling stories.

But, this game is different.

Rather than telling a story, per se, you will, instead, be creating a world.

A world that is rich with unique elements that serve to inspire an abundance of stories.

For you to play this game, you must first gather two unique elements.

Some of these elements might be:

• A Great Ocean & A Secret Laboratory
• Divine Play & That Which Has Been Forgotten
• A Great Tree And A Microscopic World
• Reincarnation And Past-Life Technology
• Parallel Lives And Machines

And so on and so forth.

Each one of these is quite vague.

But, if you find one that you like — not these examples, specifically, but when you gather your elements together — you can dive in and, in doing so, a new set of ideas will arise.

Each one of these ideas can serve as the foundation of a new world.

A new world that will take influence from other sources of inspiration.

Every single element will serve to inspire new stories that work within the limits of this world.

Just to give you an example, a new idea came to me, the other day.

The idea involved a machine that could allow people to access their parallel lives.

But, that’s not all.

Rather, this machine allows people to download the memories and perspectives and skills and abilities — and so on and so forth — those alternate versions of yourself possess.

Soon after this idea came to me, a number of stories arose.

Many of these stories involved my own experiences with this machine — if it were a reality, that is — as well as the ways in which our world would shift.

Right within these stories, there came an abundance of other stories related to these parallel lives and the parallel lives of my friends and family members.

And, well, if you keep diving into this, you’ll find even more stories.

For that is the beauty of this storytelling game.

A single world can give rise to a vast abundance of stories.

Stories that only you can tell and, most important of all, stories that you want to tell.

3 Wishes

Right now, take a moment to consider what three wishes you would ask for, if you could choose any three wishes at all and, in doing so, know they would be granted.

You can think about this for a while. Or, you can rely on an immediate answer.

No matter what you choose, though, take a moment to consider what would follow the fulfillment of these wishes.

For example, if you choose to acquire billions of dollars, you can consider what you would do with that money.

Right after you consider this, though, try to consider what might happen, during this period.

For example, if you choose to travel, with this money, you can consider not only what you would see, but who you might meet and the encounters you might experience.

Really, though, that’s just two examples.

Every experience is infinitely rich with potential paths and probabilities and possibilities — among other things — that are, in and of themselves, stories.

Right within these stories, there tends to be an abundance of other stories, too.

Stories pertaining to the people we encounter, the spaces we walk through, the unique inner lives/perspectives being engaged with, as well as the very richness of each moment.

Given all of this, pondering a single wish, and what follows, can reveal a neverending abundance of new stories, each one waiting to be told in the way that only you can tell a story.

Someone Else

The final game in our series is simple and easy.

So simple and easy, that this may be the shortest section in the entire series.

Right now, take a moment to consider a decision you made or a path you pursued.

Soon after you consider that decision, imagine that you are — and, were — someone else.

Someone with different beliefs, assumptions, skills; all of that.

Right after doing so, imagine the decision you would’ve made, given who you are.

To go along with that, imagine what would’ve happened, had you made the same decision, but done things differently right after making this decision.

Yes, this is vague.

But, life is rich with decisions and choices, all of which unveil an infinite abundance of paths.

Given this fact, you can, by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, step into some of these paths in a way that is separate from yourself, yet imagined in a way that only you can imagine.

The act of doing so can, and will, give rise to an abundance of unique stories.

Conclusion

Just to wrap this up, thank you so much for reading this essay series!

No, it may not be one of my best.

Nonetheless, my hope is that you enjoyed the series and enjoy playing these games.

Even more than that, my hope is that the stories that come from you playing these games are the stories that inspire joy and delight, while bringing forth that which only you can create.

As always, if you want to reach me, you can do so at “maxwellcakin@gmail.com”.

Best wishes, and have a lovely day!