Creative Adventures — 29

Imagine That You Are Out In The Ocean At Night

Of Stargazing, Aliens, Sea Monsters and More

In this exercise, imagine that you are a sailor. You have sailed out in the ocean and you are on the deck at night time. You are alone — everyone else is sleeping. You are far, far away from any shores or light. It is a very dark night out there. It is the waning crescent phase of the moon, so even the moon has disappeared (and the new moon is yet to appear). Therefore, the only thing you see around you is the full night sky full of thousands of stars.

Please respond to the following questions:

1. Can you recognize any stars or constellations in the night sky? Can you name any stars? How can you use the stars for navigation? Can you see any patterns or constellations of stars, such as Ursa Major or Ursa Minor? Can you detect Polaris in the North? Can you see Orion, the Hunter? If you are in the Southern hemisphere, can you detect Centaurus or Crux? How can you learn more about navigation using stars?
2. As you drift along the ocean, you engage in stargazing for hours. There is nothing quite like this experience — getting familiar with the sparkling stars and bright constellations. You feel like you are out in space, and the Earth is your starship. It is a transcendent and spiritual experience. Write a poem about the stars, the night sky, the ocean, and your experience. If you prefer, you can also write a reflective piece.
3. As you are stargazing, you drift off to sleep. Write about the dream that you see. Feel free to incorporate fantasy elements in your dream. How do you make sense of this dream?
4. You are alone on the deck and sailing in the middle of the ocean. It is after midnight. You have just woke up and you feel uneasy, without knowing why. The tranquility of the night is suddenly shattered. Why? What is the looming danger? Write a story about what happens and what you do next.
5. Write a story about your encounter with a sea monster. How do you encounter? Describe the creature. Create a mystery or thriller story.
6. As you drift through the ocean at night, you realize the odd beauty of sea creatures and blue waves. The ocean is an exotic place at night — it is full of unknowns, surprises, and mysteries. For example, seals are known to navigate the ocean based on the position of stars. Many ocean creatures are known to engage in vertical migration at night for the purposes of hunting. Due to the bioluminescence of planktonic organisms, you see sparkling blue waves. Remember the fluorescent night scene in the movie “Avatar”. Imagine that you can assume the body of an exotic and bioluminescent sea organism — you can choose which one. You can glow in the dark and interact with other ocean creatures at night. Create an adventure story that unfolds after midnight in the depths of the ocean. You are both predator and prey. There is a full moon, which means predators, such as sharks, can detect you. You might think of elements of mystery, camouflage, defense, predation, love, or danger.
7. The Polaris, which you can see in the night sky, is about 434 light-years away from you. Imagine that you can travel much faster than light with your starship — just for the sake of imagination. Imagine that you are tasked with exploring new habitats, planets, and life in the Polaris star system. Write down a story of what happens when you arrive at the Polaris triple star system. Which planets are there? How are these star systems and planets similar or different to ours (the solar system)? Is there life on some of these planets or moons? What about water, oceans, rivers, or mountains? Are there aliens living here? What about exotic plants or animals? Describe their civilization and way of life. Describe your encounter with them. What happens next?
8. Imagine that you see a UFO. The UFO lands on the deck. Describe the aliens and your encounter with them. What happens next?

Fahri Karakas is the author of the Self-making Studio. You can explore more here.