3.5 Scenario Writing Techniques

Writing a compelling scenario

The following techniques can be used to think more creatively,
get new insights and get the process started.

Many of the different scenario methods rely on combining and thinking through the implications of different drivers, signals and megatrends. That part of a Method is often called something like “Elaborating the scenarios”, “Describing Scenario assumptions” or “deepening and exploring alternatives”.
This is where you get creative and your imagination comes into play.

Try

a highly descriptive title and compelling storylines

help to make a scenario more interesting and makes recipients want to read more

giving life to data points

create a small world or a scene that describes your scenario and alle the implications of it

including conflict in your future story

Reality, both present and future, includes wildcards, opposing factions, and countertrends

to avoid excessive negativity

While negative scenarios are easier to craft in drama, a positive ending in futuring can have a more profound psychological impact.

As Walt Disney ‘imagineer’ Joseph Tankersley notes: “No matter how brilliant your logic, or exhaustive your analysis, people do not change to avoid disaster. People change because they see a brighter future (European foresight Platform, 2014).”