Oh So Simpatico!

So you?re all ready to sit down and write a short story.  You have your caffeine infused cup of java to keep you alert.  You?ve suitably cracked your knuckles and given your fingers a thorough stretch for maximum flexibility.  You?ve even strategically placed a six-inch high turkey and cheese hoagie with a side of potato chips on a plate within easy reach.  Are you forgetting anything?  Think hard . . . you want to make sure you?re well prepared. 

Okay.  So what is your short story going to be about? 

That bemused look on your face tells me you haven?t a clue.  Now don?t panic.  This is definitely fixable.  You?re not exactly suffering from writer?s block, but rather a lack of idea as to what to write about.

Here are a few ideas to get you started on a story.  These may seem a bit quirky, but when you keep an open mind and think outside of the proverbial box, you may find that they work for you.

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Pick up the phonebook!  If you come across an interesting name or occupation, that could be just the spark you need for a story idea.

It?s a familial thing - listen.  How many times have you heard your Uncle Randy or Grandma Bertha talk about the good old days?  Your relatives have great stories to tell; all you have to do is listen.  You can adapt one of these tall tales to suit your short story.

Pick up the newspaper.  Scanning the local or national news can provide a wealth of real-life accounts that can be translated to a short story.

Think about the people you pass every day?the woman driving on the interstate while applying her makeup, the elderly woman getting her daily exercise walking in the mall, the unkempt gentleman soliciting spare change in front of the grocery store.  Imagine yourself in that person?s shoes, and start writing away.

Open your nostrils wide.  Ever notice how our sense of smell can transport us back in time?  The aroma of fresh baked brownies reminds me of the pathetically ugly brownies I used to try so diligently to bake as a child.  If your olfactory senses hone you in on a specific point in time from your past, write about that.

Flip through old photographs.  This is another way to travel through time.  That picture of your family vacation at the beach, or the cracked and faded photo of you as a first grader sporting cat glasses can generate ideas.

Have a favorite pet?  If you want to get really surreal, write about the day-to-day existence from your pet?s point of view. 

If you?re still at a loss for what to write about, try some of the many electronic story generators found on the web.  Seventh Sanctum (a site of generators to randomly produce concepts, characters, and descriptions for stories), and The Javascript Source (type in your name and gender and have one of over a billion stories generated about you and your adventures) are just a couple.

Well, I warned you these ideas were a bit on the quirky side of life,  But I hope they help!