How to Create Your
Own Dystopia
1. Mess with time to generate a feeling of anxiety, guilt and
purposelessness.
2. Rework a war-ravaged city into a fantasy version of itself, but with
more poverty.
3. Create a protagonist who only wants the simple things in life, but
who is incapable of reaching them.
4. Whisk your protagonist away to a clean or peaceful environment
that is not what it seems to be.
5. Have your protagonist unwittingly take part in oppression of
innocents or cannibalism.
6. Have a brief window of optimism when your protagonist seems to
be able to sustain a meaningful relationship, despite the bleak
setting.
7. Shatter this optimism with a close look at human nature and allow
horror to surface, for a brief moment.
8. Dull and flatten the end of your work with a bland sense of
inevitability and futility.
Essential Questions:
1. What are the downfalls of society today?
2. What makes a place good or bad?
3. Is an Utopia possible?
4. Is a Dystopia avoidable or inevitable?
5. What aspects of our society might be revealed as bad through a dystopian critique?
Terms to Define/Know:
1. Utopia
2. Dystopia
3. Freedom
4. Equality
Create Your Own Dystopian Society
A Dystopia is a vision, of an often futuristic society, which has developed into a negative version
of Utopia (perfect society). A Dystopia is often characterized by an authoritarian or totalitarian
form of government. It features different kinds of repressive social control systems, a lack or
total absence of individual freedoms and expressions and a state of constant warfare or violence.
You will create an original dystopian society. You will need to be creative and thoughtful in
coming up with a fictional place that was intended to be perfect, but has gone wrong. You must
create a citizen of this society that will be the Protagonist of your project. Meaning, this
citizen should realize that the society is wrong and should try to shine a light on the problems.
Project Requirements:
1. BACK STORY: A dystopian story has a back story: a war, natural disaster or other terrifying
event is introduced early on in the story to set the stage. Describe the back story for your
dystopia.
2. MAP: A map (colored/illustrated) of your community/country/town/etc...
3. RIGHTS: A Bill of Rights (at least 10 rules the people in your society must live by)
a. This must be created to look like a document that would fit into your society as a
poster for display.
4. PROPAGANDA: An informational text from the government of your society.
a. This can be a letter, memo, brochure, etc...
5. GOVERNMENT: Describe the government in your dystopia. What kind of government
exists?; Who is in charge?
6. CITIZEN: Describe the average citizens in your dystopia. What do they wear?; Describe
their appearance; What do they do for a living?; Do they have children?; How do they behave
on a daily basis?; What do they do for fun?; How do they respond to the government?
7. INFRACTIONS: What happens to citizens who do not obey the government?
8. SETTING: Describe the setting of your story. What does the place look like where your
citizens live? What do the buildings, homes, cars, etc. look like? What year is it?
9. EDUCATION: Describe the schools in your dystopia. What do students learn? What do they
do at school? What do they wear? How do they behave?
10. PROTAGONIST: You will also need a hero in your story. This protagonist will at some
point recognize that there is something wrong with society and risk his or her life to do
whatever he or she can to improve it. Describe your hero. Give him or her a name; indicate
what he or she does for a profession; What is his or her concern with society?; What will he
or she do to save society from itself?
11. SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: What other important characters exist in your story?
Typically, in a dystopian story the hero meets characters like himself or herself and works
with them to meet their goals. You may also have some antagonists or characters who work
against the hero. Describe these characters. Give them names. Explain why they are
important.
12. DAIRY: A diary entry from your protagonist expressing his or her feelings about an event
that has happened in your society. (you will have to make up this event and thoroughly
explain it in your diary entry.)
Your final assignment must be submitted on time, and with the appropriate headings for each
section. Rubric to follow.
DUE DATE: _____________________________
