Summertime Writing: Substituion In Stories

In the last innovation post, I tried to use the association method for story innovation. In this post, I'd like to try the SCAMPER method of innovation and creativity. I will do the first of the seven parts of the SCAMPER method in this post—Substitution.

1. State the original idea, problem, or question (source).

For this case, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Synopsis found at Wikipedia. I cut together pieces of the larger synopsis.

tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a hideous, sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment...the Creature tall, about 8 feet (2.4 m) in height and proportionally large. Despite Victor's selecting its features as beautiful, upon animation the creature is instead hideous, with watery white eyes and yellow skin that barely conceals the muscles and blood vessels underneath. Repulsed by his work, Victor flees when it awakens. While wandering the streets, he meets his childhood friend, Henry Clerval, and takes Henry back to his apartment, fearful of Henry's reaction if he sees the monster. However, the Creature has escaped.

Intelligent and articulate, the Creature relates his first days of life, living alone in the wilderness and finding that people were afraid of and hated him due to his appearance, which led him to fear and hide from them. While living in an abandoned structure connected to a cottage, he grew fond of the poor family living there, and discreetly collected firewood for them. Secretly living among the family for months, the Creature learned to speak by listening to them and he taught himself to read after discovering a lost satchel of books in the woods. When he saw his reflection in a pool, he realized his physical appearance was hideous, and it terrified him as it terrifies normal humans. Nevertheless, he approached the family in hopes of becoming their friend. Initially he was able to befriend the blind father figure of the family, but the rest of them were frightened and they all fled their home, resulting in the Creature leaving, disappointed. He traveled to Victor's family estate using details from Victor's journal, murdered William, and framed Justine.

The Creature demands that Victor create a female companion like himself. He argues that as a living being, he has a right to happiness. The Creature promises that he and his mate will vanish into the South American wilderness, never to reappear, if Victor grants his request. Should Victor refuse his request, The Creature also threatens to kill Victor's remaining friends and loved ones and not stop until he completely ruins him.

Fearing for his family, Victor reluctantly agrees. The Creature says he will watch over Victor's progress. 

2. SCAMPER

Substitute is about replacing parts of the story. Characters, description, setting, plots, or conflicts may be replaced with alternatives.
Combine
Adapt
Modify, minimize, or maximize
Put to another use
Eliminate or elaborate
Reverse

Substitute

• Genre

A common type of replacement is genre. Maybe instead of horror, replace it with a modern setting. What if this happened in the stone age. Or maybe Frankenstein happened in ancient Egypt.

• Characters

Characters may be replaced. Maybe Victor Frankenstein is a woman—much like the author Mary Shelley—Victoria Frankenstein. Or maybe he is an artist that brings to life a painting instead of a alchemy creature. A singer might bring to life a creature or being from a song.

• Setting

Already I mentioned Egypt in the ancient genre which would be a different location. What about in China if a alchemist were trying to make a kung-fu soldier. Maybe on Easter Island, those faces were their attempt at a rock golem.

• Plot

Maybe Dr. Frankenstein was trying to create his own bride instead of for the monster, more like the movie Weird Science. Maybe instead of the creature trying to kill him, the creature is constantly trying to save Dr. Frankenstein from foolish dangerous endeavors.

• Description

Maybe instead of describing things in letters, as Mary Shelley does, the book is described using text messages. Or maybe I take the original text and change portions of the text. Let me try this now.

From Frankenstein Chapter 1 (after the letters)

I am by birth a Genevese, and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic. My ancestors had been for many years counsellors and syndics, and my father had filled several public situations with honour and reputation. He was respected by all who knew him for his integrity and indefatigable attention to public business. He passed his younger days perpetually occupied by the affairs of his country; a variety of circumstances had prevented his marrying early, nor was it until the decline of life that he became a husband and the father of a family.

Paragraph below is based on the above paragraph
Paragraph 1, Chapter 1 Frankenstein, 
©2019 by Ken Wickham, all rights reserved. This is based on Mary Shelley's original text.

I was born into a family, who are famous, originating from the Geneva Republic. My ancestors had been longtime government officials and ambassadors, and my father had held several public offices with honorable and with a great reputation. Everyone that knew him respected him for his integrity and untiring attention to public service. He spent the good amount of time early in his career constantly focused on the needs of his country; many reasons prevented him from getting involved in dating in his youth. It wasn't until he was already near retirement that he married and became a father.

Analysis of Substitution

This exercise was easier for me than some of the last exercise. I even enjoyed rewriting the paragraph of Frankenstein using my own words and description. So far, I really like substitution as a tool for innovation in story writing.