Young Writers Society

I have another idea for a novel. Feedback, please!

The main character is a teenager (gender and name to be determined) who's in a terrible accident, leaving them in a coma. They 'wake up' in an alternate world--think The Land of Ooo, Wonderland, and every other surreal fantasy place in fiction, but even weirder. They find out that there's a portal they have to find and go through in order to wake up for real, and if they die in this world (which is likely, as it's not exactly safe), they die in real life. The chapters alternate between this plot and the character's family, who are unaware of this alternate world and unraveling in the aftermath of the accident.

Sounds like an interesting idea! Alternate-world stories are always fab (though I don't think they would fall under "magical realism" if it's like Wonderland. More like straight fantasy since the magic is happening outside of the "real" world).

My questions are:
What's the plot? Why did the MC wake up in the alternate world when they went into the coma? Is this something that happens to everyone who falls into a coma? What is the purpose of the MC being in this world? Have they been brought there intentionally by someone, or was it an accident?

If they go through the portal, do they wake up in the coma or appear as a second version of themself? If there's an easy portal in and out of the world, why does a coma also get them there? Does the MC want to leave the alternate world? Is there a reason for them to want to be there rather than the real world, or vice versa?

How does the plot of what's happening to the family in the real world interact with the plot of what's happening to the MC in the alternate world? Do they inform each other? Does what the MC does in the alternate world have an affect on the real world, or vice versa?

Basically, you have an pretty interesting setting for this story! One that has been done in a few ways, but has a lot of room for your own interpretation of things. The big challenge, I think, will be finding out a plot. Discovering a question that needs to be answered for the MC, or a problem/challenge that needs to be overcome. And since you have a whole fantastic dangerous alternate world in your hands, it could be a pretty awesome challenge!

Best of luck with your story!

Lauren asked a lot of wonderful questions. Definitely keep them in mind while you're writing this.

I want to comment about switching between this alternate world and ours. You mention that you want to alternate between the MC and the family back home. Remember that you don't have to alternate every chapter. I'm not sure if that's what you had in mind, but I've talked to many people who think that's how it has to be. Don't be afraid to keep four consecutive chapters, for example, in this alternate universe before switching back to the real world. The same goes with the real world chapters. Think of it as you're writing two different stories: one in each world. Use that to make your decisions of where to split.

As Lauren mentioned, you need to figure out what will happen with the plot in each world. The alternate world will most likely be the easiest seeing as that's what you're whole idea is. The tricky part will come when moving the plot along in the real world. Is there going to be a certain character that you will be focusing on or are you just thinking of the entire family? That will probably hinge on whether you're writing third person or first person. Try a lot of different ideas and see which one you like the best.

I really like this idea. Alternate worlds are so much fun to read about. It's like taking us on an out of body experience. You seem to know a lot about what you're writing already. Now it's time to put it into action! If you ever post it on here do let me know. I'd love to read it!

If you want to talk more about your project don't hesitate to contact me

Hello! Both Lauren and Noelle have offered some great questions, your plot sounds really interesting. I've written a similar story, same premises but different plot. What I'm going to say is think of the logical connection between your parallel worlds and your characters, and Earth. Especially so because you're switching povs back and forth and back and forth, somewhere down the line you'll find yourself struggling to coherently connect the ideas together.

Of course, there isn't a rational explanation for everything, nor do the readers demand one however your story needs to flow logically, cause and effect and so on. Before you start writing, I suggest doing some form of visual planning, flowcharts, mindmaps, storybaords of sorts? Map out your potential parallel worlds, why they exist, why are the characters in them, how does it impact them back in their original world and so on. You don't have to go down to the last minute detail, just a general outline will save you confusion and frustration later on.

Alternative worlds are fun to write, they are wonderful concepts to explore as well but keeping the entire plot intact can be a struggle at times due to the fact that you're placing your character in two different dimensions, simultaneously.

Something else you want to consider, when constructing your alternate world is to consider what kind of parallel are you aiming for here. Some places an emphasis on paralleling the psychological state of the character (Inception), some offers an alternate world with additional elements (think Dr.Strange, Avengers).

Hope this helps, if you want to discuss this further feel free to shoot me a PM.