Future Visions
Create your own story in any format about a future that is realistic given your knowledge of the world and your current research. The story assumes a world in transition, with significant change brought on by the challenges of climate severity, peak energy (so everything is very expensive, from food, to transportation to basic goods), collapsing economies (ditto on loss of jobs and rising costs) , depleted water and basic resources (also pushing costs up), toxic environments, and conflict about solutions. It also assumes a massive global movement toward justice, democracy, and simple healthy living with people experimental everywhere on positive solutions. You may set your story in the heart of the transition, or after a major change has already happened. It could be dystopian or utopian, or a combination (most likely).
Explore the issues that your characters face in the world they inhabit. To do this, create 2-3 scenes in which your characters deal with the issues they face at the same time trying to sketch out a believable world that they inhabit, but which is different from our own. Imagine a character much like yourself and your classmates or family wrestling with this changing world.
In Future Scenarios, Life is Easy, Hemenway’s Horticulture Societies, and Korten’s Earth Community, and in many other readings and viewings, authors propose likely scenarios based on current research and science, as well as cultural and economic options. This is the beginning our your own research into possibilities that take into account real facts and data and the real movements for change happening around the globe. Tap into this culture shift. This is an exercise in speculative fiction using research as a foundation for imaginative and creative storytelling.
For a look at the positive changes happening see YesMagazine sections on:
- Peace & Justice
- Planet
- New Economy
- People Power
- Happiness
Your story should be a major piece: 10-15 pages of text/image/sound; 4-6 minute video, 20-30 image photo narrative; or equivalent animation, or other format.
In this assignment describe your project, format, and what steps you will need to take, and give a summary of what you think your story may be about.