Young Writers Society

Salutations All,

I recently was overcome by a brief story idea, it's a short story at this moment, I will take it as it comes. The general idea is this: The whole world has fallen asleep, that is, except for my main character. I have no basis for why this has occurred and that is where I might be seeking some insight. What unnatural, or other worldly phenomenon has created this. Was it my character maybe? A power they are unbeknownst to? Was it some other force?

Let me know what you think and if you have any ideas or suggestions that could help focus the idea into something more solid.

M.

Hi there everonlyaudaciously and welcome to YWS! If you've got any questions, don't be afraid to ask me or any other names in green or red.

Now, onto that story idea of yours. What genre is this planned to be? Science fiction? Fantasy? Sounds fantasy because I'm pretty sure that there isn't a way to make everyone but your main character fall asleep. I'm actually against that idea. Maybe there's a group of people that stay awake instead?

Unless your main character is the one that did the deed and is a genius who knows how to put the world to sleep or that they're a special snowflake who ends up having powers, I don't see how this can work (I'd prefer to read the former because I'm tired of The Chosen One trope).

You were right in saying that this idea is brief. Do animals stay awake? Is it just humans that are on pause? What does this main character do while humans are asleep? Are all of them asleep? Is the plot about the main character who made a deal with aliens to put the rest of the world to sleep? What are the motivations of the character? Do they want to wake the world back up?

Tell us more about the goals of the character, how and why the rest of the world falls asleep and if this character even wants to fix that. Tell us more about how long everyone else is asleep and what the MC does in this world that is asleep. Tell us if animals take over or not or if they're asleep as well. Tell us how the world functions without human life around.

This all depends on what you're wanting to do. Expand on the concept and then people who respond can help and point to the right direction.

Hope this helps!

I think a more compelling question to ask isn't what, but why.

What simply provides a means— it provides a setting. Why provides the motive, which in turn provides the conflict.

So why is only one person awake? Are there perhaps multiple people awake that your MC doesn't know about? Does your MC have latent magical powers that some force is trying to pull out? The why builds the story a little more of the story, instead of just going straight to the means.

Kays,

I have to say, I appreciate such thorough insight. I am thinking this idea is only meant to be short, I think if there were other people who survived this odd occurrence, I would have to tell all of their stories, or include them in the telling. Maybe I could introduce one other survivor and imply to more out there, but I'm not thinking along the lines of genre at all. I'm just trying to tell a story at this point, the specifics will come as the story does. It's been a long while since I've written and, I'm just trying to get this story out without getting to caught up on the process. In what I've written so far, even animals are sleeping. There's a mention of dogs on porches resting next to their owners. I like that you asked what the motivation of the character is, I'm going to take this question and really think on it.

Rosendorn,

You're right, it's about the 'why'? of it all. Why did the world suddenly fall to sleep, or had they been sleeping all along? Why is my character awake?

You both have given some great insight and it's really helped me rethink how I need to approach this. I had a concept that came to mind this morning, a ticking sound that leads the character to a broken clock. I don't know if that's the route I'll take, but it was something I considered.

M

Is the broken clock the clock of the universe? O:

That idea is interesting! I'm glad that you've (potentially) found a starting place to go with. Hopefully you're able to figure out the rest after that and get this story rolling!

Does the peoples stay asleep or do they awake like at night or something?

Your character take peoples wallet and spend the money at the arcade! ^^ Well he could take the key from he arcade guy and open the machine to have unlimited credit

Well seriously he could be walking on the street and trying to wake up the peoples. After passing almost all day trying to wake them up, he decide to get into a hotel and have a good night sleep in a luxury suite for free.

eat for free in restaurant, preparing his meal as he like them.

Listening to tv and radio but got nothing anywhere. Police, firefighter, hospital everyone is asleep and not knowing what to do, what's the cause, for how long?

He's start panicking, as the days the weeks pass. "What will I do?" he ask himself. "No one to talk, kinda alone, but full of peoples asleep"