Help Wanted
So I’ve written very little fiction before – and none of it any good – but I’d like to get some practice with it. The problem is that I can never think of anything to write about. Which is, when you think about it, a kind of big problem.
Actually, I’ve always been like that. I’m not that great at thinking up new ideas, but I’m super awesome at fleshing out someone else’s idea and taking it to whole other levels that they never dreamed of (and sometimes never wanted to dream of, haha). In fact, if someone would like to give me a job as an “idea fixer” then I’m totally up for that.
Anywho, I thought I’d ask you guys for some story ideas to practice on. When I try to think of ideas, my mind goes completely blank. It’s like a mental block, I tell ya! So could you help a girl out?
Anything would be appreciated – however big or small. It could be a line of dialogue (I super need practice with dialogue) or a situation or a character, or anything. Even a few random words that pop into your head.
Just don’t expect much for your efforts, because maybe I can’t do this at all.
But I will try.
🙂
♦
steadily skipping stones 
Her life began the moment she walked out the door, but she had no way of knowing what awaited her on the other side…
First thing that came to mind! Would love to see where it goes 🙂 good luck!
Thanks! That’s a good one – I hope I don’t mess it up 🙂
Every time I looked down to read more, the tears came back to fog my view. At every new paragraph came a new wave of calamity, I had to put down the pages, blink back my sadness, and hope that nobody around me noticed. I could not possibly stop reading, but this was going to be a terribly long bus journey.
True story – I was re-reading The Fault In Our Stars today on the bus, bad idea when you know you’re prone to crying.
😀
Oh my gosh, Lorna – you’re gonna make it hard, huh? That’s a big one, but I’ll try – I’m already thinking on it! I think I’m gonna regret saying that I can take ideas and build on them, haha 🙂
In other news, I’m going to have to read that book!
‘Twas more an expression of my insane ease of crying than anything else 😉 I mean honestly, I cried at the advert to War Horse, I cried at Bambi! I can’t write a book without including some sort of reference… 🙂
Lorna xx
Haha! It’s okay to be a crier – I have my moments too. Especially when I don’t get enough sleep. 🙂
I’m not very good at coming up with new ideas for stories either, so I’m no help. Like you, I can take whatever you give me and run with it. Can’t wait to read what you come up with!
How about just words – like what are some random words that pop into your head right now?
Mine are: Chicken, dog, cow, butter bean, eggroll, dirt bath, red convertible, maple tree, maserati, blue heron. I don’t know where any of that came from, but I’m gonna try to use them.
Car, lollipop, stickers, sunshine, choir, chihuahua (the last one wasn’t relevant at all, but I enjoy spelling it. It’s quirky.) 🙂
Lorna xx
Thanks, good words!
When I used to write Friday Flash Fictions, I usually sat down and wrote the first sentence that came to mind and went from there. Which ever direction it headed, I made sure that I twisted from it in the end.
Thanks Susie, I’ll add that idea to my list! (I hope I can think of a first sentence, haha.)
She had several irrational fears, most of them she could laugh at……but not this IV fluid dripping into her arm. It was clear, except she knew it was full of microscopic cheeseburgers. They were trying to fatten her up. The Anorexia had not been a problem in years and this “heat exhaustion” wasn’t going to keep her in the hospital…… another few hours on fluids and she would be ready to go home.
RidicuRyder
You guys are trying to kill me! I think I’ll have to save this one for last. If I try this now, my brain will probably self-destruct with the effort, haha.
Drip…drip…drip…drip…(cheeseburger cheeseburger cheeseburger cheeseburger
Ha! Interesting option… an anorexic comedy.
I;m not going to be much help either–I even waited a bit to respond, hoping a good idea would come. i can add some words: elephant, trapeze, honeymoon. One idea might be to create a robot character ala one of your recent posts and place him/her somewhere where s/he needs to be “a real person” like applying for a job or serving on jury duty or something. Well, maybe you do not have to be humna to do those tasks–but you get the idea. You also mentioned needing practice with dialog. When I tried to help students in class get the idea of dialog, I had them think of a scenario that could be addressed via notes between the two characters–let the notes or messages carry the day, no comments on characters or location or anything other than what is gleaned from the dialog. A logn distance romance, kid away at colllege needing money not wanting to ask out right, stangers on a date website. i always had the kids read a cute little piece by Judith Vorist that was published in Free to Be You and Me. The piece was called “Southpaw” and tells a story between 2 kids, boy and girl, and playing on a baseball team. It is cute. Here’s a link: http://blogs.muskegonisd.org/geigerr/files/2009/10/The-Southpaw-by-Judith-Viorst.pdf
Good luck. You have the creativity and determination to get some work done!
Thanks Patti! I’ve got the first one started in my head, but we’ll see. If I can’t do that, then I’ll start with the word ones. I love the robot idea, but I don’t know if I can pull that off. I will try, though. I really like the dialogue through notes idea and that’s one that I think I can do for sure. I just have to think of something for them to talk about, haha!
I was poking around in my local library and came across “Write On” (I think) by Sara Paretsky. It is a book about writing fiction, and when I flipped through it I thought it looked pretty good. I reminded myself that I’m a painter, not a writer, and left it behind but maybe it would be helpful to you?
Pigs, pond, dragonfly, skyscraper, street.
🙂 Thanks Melissa! I’ll keep that in mind to look that up. And thanks for the words, too – that’s some variety there, should be fun!