All Things Solo

Do you remember the epic plot twist in 1995 crime thriller "The Usual Suspects" where a crippled con-artist called Verbal (Kevin Spacey) created the legend of a shadowy crime lord Kayser Söze in front of a US Customs Agent?

Freeform Association is an improvisation method where you link randomly generated words into a coherent (piece of a) story. Just as in Improv Theater. This is a part of content creation method, and not a standalone way to make up your story. You'll only use it if a simple YES / NO answer is not enough to create content. Examples below.

Unless, you're using more complex Mythic GM Emulator that started it all. FFA is an integral part of Mythic's Oracle "Fate Chart."

Following part exists thanks to "Tome of Adventure Design" by MYTHMERE Games. (The book is not for Solo Play but it's a great resource for GMs).

# Familiarize yourself with FFA by rolling https://randomwordgenerator.com for 2-4 words and treating each one NOT as a word but as a;

• Picture: (for the dreamer) See it in your Mind's Eye. Done? Now animate it. If you can't visualize, no worries;

• OR Abstract: (for the analytical mind) Bereft of any individual example of it, it is just an idea. Explore it in the Universe of Ideas. If you prefer analytical thinking rather than visualization, try to link these words using reasoning as an exercise. Your goal is to write a snippet of a story.

• OR Concept: (for the scientific mind) Even though it is just one word, it contains a whole ecosystem within itself. Study it like an ecologist. It is a machine with many cogs and wheels. Like an Artificer, disassemble and reassemble it. It is the theme of a birthday party -birthday of a newfound old map. Decipher it.

• OR Symbol: (for the deep thinker) It is not a mere uttering, but a conjuring of something far more important, something that is hidden behind the sound or sight. It is a mark in space, like a distant star in relationship with its painter. It refers to more than an object or an idea, it is the hidden bond in between two lovers, or maybe... mortal enemies. Reveal it. Check symbol dictionaries.

• OR Definition & Meaning: (for the writer mind) Definition and meaning are two completely different approaches for understanding words. You can memorize an entire dictionary of slang without knowing any of its contents' "meanings". Definition of a word is a little honey trap that sets you out on an adventure to find its true meaning. Compare dictionary definitions with The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce.

# Now Let Your Imagination Go Wild!

Link the words you rolled in an interpretive way to create a piece of story. Pick whatever comes to your mind first, whichever is easy and natural. There are no wrong answers here. If you don't like a word, just reroll.

Now, this, is the secret that will separate your Solo Stories from everyone else's. This is what will make your experience yours. Usage detailed in "Example of a First Solo Scene."

Example Words: apple (picture of a red apple), heart (meaning/symbol - maybe the apple is poisoned?), evening (maybe the poisoned apple placed at night?), systematic (definition) hmm.

Example Association: An assassin systematically eliminates his targets by poisoning their breakfast (apple) at night. Symbolic meaning of heart could be "poisoning the heart of the enemy." What if this poison doesn't kill but corrupts the heart!

As you can see, it's just a simple game of Connect the Dots.

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# MOAR Examples

## Picture

Picture Example: Picture of a poisoned apple falling from someone's hand in slow-mo.

## Abstract

Abstract Examples 1: tolerance, strength, hope, tiredness...
Abstract Association 1: Someone tolerates someone else strongly, in hopes of change in their behavior, but gets tired.

Abstract Examples 2: knowledge, weakness, imagination, clarity...
Abstract Association 2: A character who thinks seeing knowledge is more important as weakness because imagination gives way to more clarity in thinking. (Something like Einstein's famous quote).

## Concept

Concept Examples: space, winter, camp, calendar, house, beginning, country, mystery, rebel, color, hero / heroine, weather, day, myth... If you dissect these words into their components, you can find many things in them. i.e: winter > snow, cold, gray clouds, skiing...

## Symbol

Symbol Example: Apple as a symbol. Starts from Adam & Eve's fruit of knowledge, and comes to present day to represent a mega-corporation. Check symbol dictionaries when you're not sure of a word's symbolic usage.

## Meaning

Definition Example: "MERCY, noun: A disposition to be kind and forgiving."
Meaning Example: "MERCY, noun: An attribute beloved of detected offenders." ~The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce.