Category Archives: Story Starters
It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood movie - A woman loses her face in a horrific crime and then she receives a face transplant. Connie Culp received a miracle five years after a shotgun blast left a ghastly hole in the middle of face. Hundreds of bone splinters were embedded in her face; [...]
Strange things are happening in Maine. Normally reports of bizarre mutant animals, described as “half-rodent, half-dog” with monstrous cries and glowing eyes, wouldn’t be news worthy. But these creatures are menacing Maine residents, who have endured all manner of monsters for decades. At least in fiction. Stephen King has unleashed the vilest of villains upon [...]
Every morning I read the news and imagine the circumstances that led up to the reported events. I devise complicated plots and conspiracies, characters on the run from corrupt government officials or alien invaders. I love stories that place ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. The truth behind these news stories is usually mundane – just [...]
This story seems to come right out of a horror novel. There is a mysterious illness called Morgellons which has created some controversy in medical circles. The CDC just announced it will conduct a study to determine if Morgellons even exists. Since November 2006, the CDC has received about 100 calls a month,from patients, [...]
I’ve found that the best way to generate story ideas is to observe the world. I capture my observations and thoughts in a notebook. Once I write them down, I’m able to free my imagination in search of more ideas. I watch people interact, I pose “What If” questions and I change the familiar.
Ideas are [...]
Times are hard these days. People are losing their homes, their jobs and their hope for the future. Even so, we rarely think of how far we could fall and for some there is no safety net. That was the case for Richard LeMieux. When LeMieux fell on hard times, depression robbed him of his [...]
I’m always on the lookout for interesting plot ideas. Today I saw a story about a heart transplant recipient who took his own life. His donor also committed suicide. As if that wasn’t enough to make the story interesting, both the donor and recipient were in love with the same woman. Doesn’t [...]
They say a photo is worth a thousand words and sometimes a photo inspires a thousand words. Today I came across these amazing landscape photos and I thought what a great source of inspiration photos can be for writers. If you’re struggling to find story ideas imagine your character looking at the view…
Who are they?
Where [...]
I’ve noticed several news articles lately in which false claims have been made to extort money or revenge from the accused. This would be a good plot device, especially if told from the accused point of view. A 60 year old landlord was accused of imprisoning his tenant. Police received a report from a woman [...]
I think that fact is much stranger than fiction. Writers honestly couldn’t dream up some of the situations real people get themselves into. Today I saw a story about a man who was arrested for Social Security fraud, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was using the identity of a deceased individual to collect [...]
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