abstraction. preptober 2026

the elevator pitch
The mind is so easily infiltrated. Were you not aware? Technology has advanced such that hacking into thoughts has become possible — how disastrous when placed into the wrong hands. A man employs this to advance a supposedly rightful cause, discovering in the process that all is not what it seems.

In one sentence: The protagonist attempts to control the thoughts of others, only to discover that the mind — and perhaps society — is more intricate than he had believed.

three things I know
I do know:

• The protagonist's actions can be portrayed as morally wrong within the setting, but he perceives himself to be in the right; he believes himself to be acting for a just cause. The line between moral right and wrong will be blurred.
• The setting; this is situated in a dystopian society, where the government and political system may play a role in forming the protagonist's motives and actions.
• The narrative perspective; a first person limited narrative perspective will be employed in order to clearly illustrate the protagonist's reasoning and dilemmas.

I do not know:

• Details about any characters — their names and backstories are all unknown. I also do not know how many other characters will be involved apart from the protagonist.
• The protagonist's motivations; his cause, what prompts him to take towards mind control and any other morally ambiguous actions.
• The technicalities or precise illustration of thought control, and how that technology may work.

the promise
I want this story to make the reader feel conflicted. It will explore zones of moral ambiguity that will prompt the reader to reflect upon judgements of the right.

steal this prompt
A story within a story: The protagonist, upon infiltrating mind after mind, explores the stories that each has to tell. He stumbles across stories that begin to undermine his cause, that prompt him to reflect upon his beliefs. He reaches a story within the story wherein he tries to withdraw — but he finds himself already too deep within the stories of the minds.