Hope you are all having a fabulous Labor Day. Well, it's time we had that "talk". We all get it, there's no need to be ashamed. Stale stories. They start out as grand ideas and by the time we're halfway through Chapter 3 we realize it's the same story we tried to write last week. Or the week before and it ends up as a crumpled up kitty toy.
If you're longing for a couple of fresh ideas, I have a few suggestions for you. It's coming towards the end of the season (at least up here in Wisconsin), but just try to get out and sift through a rummage sale. Or estate sale. Or auction. Or flea market. Pick up an item. Feel how its worn, what its made from. Try to guess its age.
Then start asking questions. Anytime I write a story or an article, I always write down as many questions as I can think of-especially when I'm too tired to get any actual writing done-or at my 9 to 5 on breaks. When was it purchased? Was it a gift? For whom? Where was it made? Was it a birthday gift? Christmas? Was it for a child or an adult? Is is fun or functional? Focus on the item. Imagine the lives it has touched. Then you can begin to craft a story from those questions.
For example: I go to a rummage and find a lamp. It's got a metal base and speckled glass shade. Colors suggest 1970's. There is a chip on the back of the shade and the cord had been chewed on by some type of animal.
You can even go so far as to check out the people selling the items. Are they the original owners? Kids of the original owners? Is it an estate sale with a professional company doing the organization? If there is a professional company involved, you could draw the conclusion that there is no living relation or that they are estranged or moved far away and could not attend to this themselves.
Back to my example. What kind of a story could you draw out of the questions that I've asked? Is it a murder mystery? Romance gone awry? Paranormal? Don't think of your genre first, just the tales that this item could tell. If the item speaks to you, go ahead, buy it. (No, I don't advocate hoarding, silly.) Go ahead. Write down some answers. Let your imagination take over for awhile. Here's where you can experiment. Write in your current genre or play with another that you are not as familiar with.
I'd like to hear a few story ideas you've come up with and if this information has helped you freshen up your stories or just get the creative juices flowing.
Confession: Sometime I find myself doing this just for fun. It's like daydreaming, but on paper.
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