I like stories about people who somehow end up in another world or an alternate dimension somehow and what they must do to make sense of the world around them. I like to root for them as they try to either return to the world they came from or accept that they won’t return and learn to thrive in their new home.
One thing these stories almost always have in common is that they are from the point of view of the person who came from elsewhere to where they are now. This isn’t always the case, but it usually is. I think part of the reason for that is to show the contrast between where they came from and where they went and also to help you get more into the mindset of the person who wants to go home.
But what about the people around them. Depending on the story, their entire lives can be thrown upside down as well. Often times the newcomer has insane abilities that are beyond anything they can imagine. The newcomer might be the chosen one who will save everyone. Or they might bring knowledge from another place that will change the world as everyone knows it.
Is that a good thing though?
Maybe the people like the way their lives are. Or without the newcomer the technology is lost, because no one can learn how to use it. The newcomer might completely change their government or their culture and that doesn’t mean it’s for the better.
What about the person who falls for the newcomer? Why did they fall for them? How do their cultures and the things that are common sense to them compliment each other? How do they differ? What must they do to make it work? Can they even manage to make it work?
Obviously you don’t have to go to another world to find another culture. In some cases you only have to go to the other side of town. Sometimes you have to leave your country. What makes it difficult for two people from different cultures to have a relationship and make it work?
