Which emotion do you favorite stories leave you with? Has it changed over time? How are those similar among the three and how are they different?
Put a character from one of your favorite stories into the world of another. What would happen to them? What would they do? How would they interact with the characters of those stories?
Think of a few interesting and intriguing "what if" questions.
A few of my favorite stories:
The story of my great-grandpa, Herald Edward Stiles, firing Walt Disney from his restaurant because he would doodle more than work
Why I feel a sense of connection to these stories:
The Wonky Donkey
Makes me laugh
Hearing a grandma reading the story brings out my inner child
My great-grandpa/Walt Disney
He's my great-grandpa
Shows that no one can be successful in all areas of life
Stick to what you love, are good at, and what lights you up inside
Matt's blog, article
I can relate and empathize
Shows his "human" side
Teaches me things about myself and how to handle the "quirks" that my brother and I share, such as perfectionism, feeling like we don't belong, finding an identity outside of our accomplishments, never feeling like I'm good enough.
There have been times I've struggled to understand, and have been hurt by, my brother. Reading his blog has helped me understand his perspective and reasoning.
It opens the door for areas where I can help my brother.
It has helped me realize that it's ok to say, "Yes, our family was pretty f*cked up," even though we looked perfect from the outside.
Has helped me appreciate our differences.
Additional Thoughts
Writing all of this has made me realize that the more I can relate and feel "part of" the story, the more I can connect with it. Here's a great article on How and Why Stories Cultivate Emotions.
A few more things I appreciate in stories:
100% honesty, openness, and vulnerability in stories
Expression of reasoning and emotions (either verbally or non-verbally)
It teaches me something about myself, relating to others, design skills/techniques, or life management.
I've always wanted to know the "why" behind everything–same goes for stories–most stories leave me with a lot of follow up questions, so I appreciate the ones that "tie off loose ends."
Excitement/adrenaline
It leaves me feeling motivated.
It helps me to be more accepting, patient, and understanding of myself and others.
It looks into the "inner workings" of a character–how their thoughts and feelings shape their actions and reality.
My Emotional Responses
My first thought was that there are more differences than similarities between three of my favorite stories. Then I realized that the stories are different, but the thoughts and emotions they leave me with are quite similar: uplifted, motivated, inspired, amused, open-minded, and grateful. These feelings have not changed over time. The stories help me step outside of the constant chaos in my head and see the bigger picture, helping me take life (and myself) a little less seriously. They also help me feel like I'm a part of the world–provide me with an increased sense of belonging.
What if?...
What if the wonky donkey walked into my grandpa's restaurant and was served by Walt, inspiring him to doodle wonky donkeys on the tablecloths instead of mice?
What if Walt met Matt while he lived in Africa, and they decided to become co-founders?
What if the wonky donkey came into Matt and Todd's first start-up and….
What if Matt was a wonky donkey?
What if the wonky donkey wasn't a donkey but a……
My three favorite stories, thrown in a blender, and poured into an original account! What "ingredients" came from where:
Wilbur The Wonky Donkey
The search for meaning/purpose, depression - Inc Magazine Article about my brother
A restaurant and its owner, Walt Disney - the story of my grandpa firing Walt
World it's taking place in:
Time: 1917
Location: Chicago, Illinois.
Opening Scene: Mo's Diner
Main Characters:
Robert (own's Mo's Diner)
Walt (waiter with a passion for doodling), age 17, works at Mo's Diner
Wilbur (the wonky donkey, country music artist), patron of Mo's Diner
Supporting Characters:
Mo's Diner host
Diane Disney (Walt's mom)
Obstacles
Walt is a creative spirit who loves to doodle. His father walked out shortly after his mom, and during the story, his mother dies in a car accident. Being only 17, Walt is left to fend for himself. Even though he has a great mentor in Robert and finds inspiration from his relationship with Wilbur, a frequent patron at Mo's, where Walt is a waiter, the death hits him hard, and he falls into a deep depression. Walt was already searching for meaning and purpose in his life before his mother's death. He loved to doodle but didn't see much of a future in that. Hearing over and over that "you can't make a living off of doodles" didn't help. His mom's death and the depression that came after was the straw that broke the camel's back. Walt stops doodling. His world feels dark and gray, and he feels himself slipping farther and farther away from the lighthearted boy he once was.
Walt's Goal
Walt's depression makes it hard to set any goals for himself; much less see a future for himself. Robert and Wilbur are critical players in helping Walt climb his way out of the darkness and into the light, leading Walt on a self-discovery path. Will he return to doodling? Follow in the footsteps of Wilbur and become a country music artist? Or perhaps he'll take over Mo's diner once Robert retires. Only time and the story will tell!
Beginning to write the story (WIP-unedited)
At 5:05 pm, Robert looked over his diner to ensure things were ready to go for the evening. Everything looked good but wait, where was Walt? Robert knew the answer and looked out into the parking lot to see Walt locking up his bike before rushing in for his shift. "That boy's going to be late for his funeral," Robert said to himself as he smiled. Walt was known for being late and his clumsy serving skills, but Robert had a soft spot for Walt and knew the kid was going places, just not sure where. Walt didn't enjoy being a waiter any more than his patrons enjoyed his clumsy service. Still, over the years, he and Robert had developed a father-son type of relationship, and this meant a lot to Walt, as his father had walked out on him and his mom shortly after he was born. Not to mention the fact that Walt needed a job, and if he was going to be a waiter somewhere, Mo's was the place for him. It was the only diner in town with paper tablecloths. Why was this so important to Walt? He lived to doodle, sketch and draw. If given the opportunity, Walt would doodle all day long. Since that wasn't an option, he carried pens and pencils in his apron and would doodle whenever he had the chance. Dirty plates on the table that needed to be cleared? Walt didn't see them. All he saw was that blank, white paper underneath calling out to be doodled on. But at this very moment, doodling would have to wait. "Walt, you're up!" the host called out. There was a new patron seated in his section. "Aww, shucks," Walt mumbled to himself as he approached the table. "Why, hello sir, I'm Walt, and I'll be your server for the evening." "Howdy Walt, a pleasure to meet you," responded Wilbur. As Walt noticed more about his guest, he became intrigued.
Wilbur was a donkey. Not just any old donkey, but a wonky donkey with three legs, one eye, and a love for country music. His most recent single was climbing the charts and was one of the most popular songs in the country. He was a honky donkey winky wonky donkey.