Brainstorming: The GAme

Two things I love: games and writing.

One thing I hate: choice paralysis.

The only solution was to create a brainstorming game that eliminated the fear of too many choices.

An image of a 20-sided die.

Don’t misunderstand— brainstorming is a wondrous process, filled with possibilities and unlimited play. But for some people (like myself) having a blank page can be daunting.

Enter: a single die, real or computer-generated.

Here is how you play the game:

First, choose a general plot bunny. (Example: a prince who must choose a wife by the end of the year to take the throne).

Then, work backwards, choosing the ending first. Give yourself a number of options. For the example, I will use the following four options:

1. The classic “happy ending,” in which the prince and princess are married.

2. The chosen bride stands the prince up at the altar.

3. The king is assassinated before the prince is married, and as such, he ends up taking the throne before marriage out of necessity. The journey was all for naught.

4. The prince, terrified of the idea of marriage, flees the kingdom to maintain his freedom.

After having these four endings down, I will roll the die. Result: 2. The bride will not attend her own wedding.

Now that we have our ending, the next question that comes to my mind is: what happened to make the bride so afraid of marrying the prince?

Here are some possibilities:

1. The bride fears commitment. Regardless of the prince’s kind treatment, she does not want to be married to any man. She values her freedom above all else.

2. The prince is insufferable. The bride would rather bring shame upon her house than live alongside him.

3. The bride is in love with another.

4. The prince confided in his bride-to-be that he has no interest in consummating the marriage, as he is a gentleman’s gentleman.

Rolling the die again, the number we get is 3, meaning that the bride is in love with someone else. The next question that comes to my mind is: who is the bride in love with?

1. The prince’s father, the ailing King

2. The prince’s little sister

3. A stablehand back home

4. A secret admirer

We will roll the die again. The number is 4. The bride is in love with a stranger: a secret admirer hiding behind love letters.

We can continue rolling in this manner until all facts of the story are determined, or until ideas flow on your own. With these three points clarified by the dice rolls I can create a short narrative to wrap up the example game.

Image of a bride covering her face with a veil.

In the Kingdom of Goldenglass, Prince Amari must take the throne. His royal father is ailing and cannot rule in his weakened state. To satiate the traditionalists, Prince Amari must be wed by the end of the year if he is to be seen as a legitimate king.

Prominent women from the best Houses in the Kingdom are invited to Goldenglass castle. After weeks of grueling social trials, Prince Amari has narrowed his choices down. Not only that, but his heart is beside itself with joy at the prospect of marrying Lady Delphia, who has charmed him with her bookish nature and love for writing letters.

Lady Delphia agrees to take his hand in marriage and serve her kingdom as Queen. But on the day of the wedding, someone else arrives in her wedding dress, approaches the altar, and hands Prince Amari a letter:

My soon-to-be King,

It is with profound sadness that I write this confession. I simply will not be a suitable wife and Queen, as my heart lies elsewhere. My sister has agreed to marry you in my stead, and though she is young, her visage is similar to mine. She will serve you well.

I must remain as I am, unwed, until I have solved the mystery of the lover behind the letters. Once I have found him, I will wed him, and our lives will be spent in loyal service to the crown.

I am sorry.

Delphia

A quill sitting atop a handwritten letter. Purple flowers sit in the corner.

As you can see, the game has no definitive end— it stops when you tire of playing it. You can add as many options as you’d like to roll for; however, I find rolling 4-6 choices is suitable.

Please remember that there are no rules to the Brainstorming Game. If you find yourself feeling disappointed with a roll result, simply roll again. The idea is not to rope yourself into an idea you do not like, but to get the creative juices flowing and narrow down the many paths that some other brainstorming methods leave open.