Blue Topic of the Week: Where Did You Get That Idea!?

[ladyseishou]

Last week we looked at ways to jumpstart the writing habit by writing in a journal every day, and like a good distance runner, working up to your NaNoWriMo word count of 1,667 words a day.

Okay, show of hands, how many Nano Writers fell a little short of the target? Wow. That's a lot of hands. But hey, that's okay! It's a new week! Let's see if we can't inspire a few more keystrokes and work that word count by finding something fun/cool/relevant/inspirational to write about and perhaps, maybe, stumble on a really great idea for your novel you're going to write in November.





It's been said that science fiction writer Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles) was once asked: "Where do you get your crazy ideas?" He answered, perhaps a bit tongue-in-cheek, that he bought all his ideas from a place in Schenectady, New York, for only three dollars a piece.

Psst... you... yeah you! Have I got a deal for you! Keep your three dollars (or euro or yen) in your pocket (or better yet, buy a month's DW membership) and I'll tell you where you can get a fresh, hot idea (or two) for free...

Have you heard about writing idea generators?

I know you have... but here are some sites that might be worth a second look if you're feeling particularly uninspired or just want an off-the-wall idea to kick around (in your journal, yes?):

Maybe best known: The Seventh Sanctum.

Select "Stories" from the "Story Inspiration" menu and get a detailed idea that includes setting, characters, plot overview and theme. For free. Genre optional.

Here's one fresh out of the hopper:

This is an epic about vengeance and how life is a funny thing. The story is about a patronizing knight and a hunter. It takes place on a swamp planet in a galaxy-spanning empire. The story ends with somebody breaking something important. The effect of globalization on religion plays a major role in this story.

Oh, the plot bunnies! Breaks something, eh? *grins evilly*

Some other "idea" generators:

Quick Plots

Sample:
Your plot: The main character purchases an artifact from a vendor at a flea market. The vendor was oddly aggressive in making the sale. Your character begins to have discomforting dreams, the dreams become more vivid and more terrifying over time until your character's life is in shambles. No matter what s/he does to try and get rid of the object, it can always be found, back in the same place.
Word count goal: 900

Sounds like a cool Twilight Zone episode...

Cool Bits Story Generator

Sample:
The villain of this piece is a coward who finds courage, while the hero is a baron. The plot begins with a stupid decision made in full awareness in the Jazz Age. The ending includes elements of innocence and mathematics with consequences.

Mathematics with consequences. *scribbles idea in notebook*

And for fans of tv|tropes: Story Generator.

So it's your turn Nano Writer! What's your favorite "generator"? Please share your "best ever" results in the comments below! Better yet, crack open that journal and start writing!

Tomorrow we'll look at what some other writers have to say about where their ideas come from...

Comments

[reya_starck]

I love the right-brained prompts at Writing Fix, especially the Serendipitous Settings one.

Another great one, for those using iGoogle as a homepage is the Writer's Unblock Tool widget from ModeRoom.

[ladyseishou]

Thanks very much for your suggestions! I will be sure to add them to our community "generators" list!

[geminianeyes]

I generally throw a few words together and start writing...

Other times, I get friends to suggest them to me, which then brings up concepts like Office Maids, a quirky combination of Office Ladies and French Maids. ^^l

[ladyseishou]

LOL!

Your method reminds me of something that Neil Gaiman wrote:

Often ideas come from two things coming together that haven't come together before. ('If a person bitten by a werewolf turns into a wolf what would happen if a goldfish was bitten by a werewolf? What would happen if a chair was bitten by a werewolf?')