How to Create Surprise?

Clear Structure

• The Unexpected
• What is the Public not expecting?
• An antagonist that suddenly change sides?
  • Because she was forced to collaborate?
  • Because she was betrayed by her side?
• The Revelation of an Antagonist?
  • She seemed menacing since the beginning and now she ridiculously small?
• The Behavior of the Antagonist?
  • They seemed relentless when you met them at 1st.
  • And now they run away when you enter the room with your Legendary Weapon.
• You enter a Café.
  • The clerk asks you if you’re here for a mushy Cream.
  • You answer you prefer Mango juice.
  • The staff jumps on you with clubs & axes.

• The Expected
• Offering the Public a clear structure is essential.
• The Public should be able to identify the structure of the whole Story after Chapter 3.
• Crisis are easily identifiable.
• Comfort & resting moment should be easily identifiable as well.

• Justify the Unexpected.
• A clear structure allows you to deviate more easily.
• The Public does need to be able to see the deviation.
• Where they expected a violent confrontation is now a painful & long discussion.
• The Discussion is still a crisis.
• A lingering crisis, slow to end, less violent, more pernicious.
• Where a Fight with physical weapons would have been more brutal, more violent and maybe instantaneous.

Surprise & Engagement

• Surprises create Engagement.
• Diversity creates Engagement.
• Satisfaction creates Engagement.
• Offer the Public what she is expecting.
• It creates an immediate sentiment of satisfaction.
• And then make the next move shocking.
• Make a move that everyone will Deny it ever happened.

• Mix elements & Create Paradoxes.
• Mix a Threatening element with a Comforting element.
• Mix a Punishing element with a Rewarding element.
• Combines the contraries.
• Not every combination will work.

• Surprise & Tempo
• Reversal of situation are an easy way to create surprise.
• As a reversal acts as the direct opposite of what’s expected, the Public is not excessively changing the scenery.
• Escalation is the direct progression of a phenomenon to another state.
• Escalation allows the Public to enjoy the surprise further as it capitalize on the initial idea.
• Exaggeration is a form of escalation turning the surprise into another surprise of the same vein.
• Exaggeration at its best is Exaggeration in Chain.
• Don’t stop with 1 Crisis.
• Put another.
• After another.
• After another.
• And a last 1 on the top.

Make Games

• Games create an entertaining context.
• They condition the Public for entertainment.
• It is something expected.
• It can be deceitful.
• Don’t let it be.
• Deliver Fun.
• Exaggerate.
• Make the Board/Setting a fun place to be.
• Wherever it is Violent, wherever it is Soothing, wherever it is Exciting make it Entertaining.

• Multiple types of games.
• Diversity makes Surprises more surprising.
• It allows you to variate the tempo.
• Have Different type of Difficulty.
• Have Different types of Rewards.
• Diversity creates Interest.

• Quick, simple & clean Games
• Clear Rules.
• Clear Exceptions.
• Clear way to solve problems.
• Make solutions obvious.
• Obviousness is not boring.
• Predictability may be boring.
• Don’t let event become predictable.

Teams & Crisis

• Everyone Participates.
• Every character is needed in the Story.
• When are they needed?
• Where are they needed?

• Since they are not needed at the same time, their contribution will variate.
• Every team member is needed.
• They need to be solicited at different moment.
• If they do the same thing, the Story structure will become dull.

• Roles & Novelty
• Some members will be better at negotiation.
• Others will be better at survival or building.
• The role of each member allows new situation to occur.
• The story of each member pushes the Story in different directions.
• Diverse members will conflict.
• They will collaborate.
• They will conflict again.
• Wherever it is because of an external event or an internal one.

• Missing Roles
• If a Character disappear she needs to be replaced.
• Will she be?
• Missing Skills in a team are missing skills.
• They can be learned by the remaining team members.
• The only thing you cannot replace is the individual.
• Admittedly.
• This calls for unexpected actions on the behalf of the team members.
• Will they choose to abandon a Character?

An Unstable World

• Environment & Change
• Catastrophes occur.
• Creatures are subjected to Evolution.
• Change is Destruction & Creation.
• And the Characters’ Reactions.

• Actions, consequences & Specificity.
• Why is your character in a specific Setting?
• What are they searching there?
  • A person?
  • An object?
• Do they reside in this Place?
• What can they do in this Setting?
• What will happen if the Characters do [forbidden action]?
• What will happen if the Characters do [benevolent action]?
• What will happen if the Characters do [unusual action, but authorized]?
• How will the Inhabitant react?
  • The Citizen/Subjects
  • The Police/Security
  • The Management/Administration
• How will the Environment react?

• Curiosities will drive Curiosity.
• Objects lead to Stories.
• Why is the object here?
• Who left it here?
• Was it left willingly?

Your 10 Favorites Stories

1. What are your 10 favorite Stories?
   1. Try to pick at least 1 per genre
2. What are the Essential Scenes like?
   1. Opening scene
   2. 3 Crisis
   3. Epilogue.
3. Change the Outcome.
   1. Create 3 new Outcomes for each scene
   2. For each Outcome display consequences on the characters
4. Context & Perspective
   1. Why did the Outcome change?
   2. What makes the new Outcome consistant?
   3. What makes the new Outcome surprising?