Ten Tips for Story Starters

By Jax Hunter

Almost every time I tell someone that I’m a writer, I get this question: Where do you get your ideas? Frankly, I have to beat back ideas. I have to tell imaginary people to “take a number.” It’s really quite silly. However, I do know that getting story ideas can be a problem. So here are a few ways to spark story ideas. 

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1. Start with a character. Write his biography. Then plunk him down in the middle of a situation. Maybe stick him in a stalled elevator, alone or with two other people, one he loves, one he hates.

2. Start with a setting. Create a place complete with a history. (Think Mistwillow.) Create a skeleton population. Then, set off a bomb, figuratively. A car accident. A weather event. A scandal.

3. Start with a Dear Abby column (do they even still have these?) Create the characters and play what-if until you know how they came to the point where they would actually write that letter. I mean, who writes those letters anyway? What’s the turn-around time? Would you really take your problems to that forum? Somebody does. But I digress. . .

4. Start with a movie logline and write your own story. This works best if you haven’t seen the movie.

Independence Day - Aliens try to invade earth on Independence Day.

Liar, Liar - An attorney, because of a birthday wish, can't tell any lies for 24 hours.

Dead Calm - A married couple, trying to recover from the death of their only child, are terrorized at sea by a handsome maniac.

The Hunt for Red October - A Soviet submarine captain uses Russia's ultimate underwater weapon as a means to defect to the west.

The Last Boy Scout - A private detective must team up with an ex-football star to catch the killer of a topless dancer.

5. Start with a familiar fairy tale. Plunk it down in a contemporary setting. Combine two fairy tales:  Cinderella with Beauty and the Beast, Three Little Pigs with Little Red Riding Hood.

6. Start with a title. Next time you’re in the book store, jot down ten titles. Then write a story summary from the title.

7. Start with a cluster of words. Most of us have been in a writing class in which the leader gave us five words with which to build a story. It’s a simple technique and just might jumpstart your story. Chimney, graffiti, lawyer, ferret, Porsche. There you go, write that story!

8. Start with a story opener. Here’s a fun website that will generate just such a sentence: http://www.thestorystarter.com. Here’s the sentence it gave me: The bewildered scientist destroyed the evidence in the store to discover the dark secret.

9. Start with a cliche. Kill him with kindness. Sit around and collect dust. Get a bird’s-eye view. Take the words right out of his mouth. I say jump, you say “how high” on the way up. There’s even a cliche generator for you here: http://www.westegg.com/cliche/random.cgi

10. Start with a first line. Again, at the book store, pick up ten books from different genres. Jot down their first lines. Use those first lines to brainstorm a plot. I recently read an article about actually starting your novel with a classic first line like “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” then adding to it. But, again, I digress.

Alrighty, campers. There’s your list for the month. Go forth and create. Have fun. And, until next month, BiC-HoK. 

Jax
www.jaxmhunter@gmail.com and www.revive1775.com

About the Author:  Jax Hunter is a published romance writer and freelance copywriter. She wears many hats including EMT, CPR instructor, and Grammy. She is currently working on a contemporary romance series set in ranching country Colorado and a historical romance set in 1775 Massachusetts. She lives in Colorado Springs, belongs to PPW, RMFW and is a member of the Professional Writer's Alliance.

I Can Write a Book? I Can Write a Book!

By Susan Hardy

I've loved writing for as long as I can remember. I excelled in English and literature classes, and have always written from the heart. Maybe it's because I have always enjoyed reading. Growing up with a less than stellar childhood, reading was an escape from my father's abuse. Every night, in my tiny little room, I was transported into the exciting adventures of Nancy Drew, the imaginative world of Ray Bradbury, and the eerie depths of Edgar Allen Poe. As I got older and my husband was off on TDY's, I enjoyed Danielle Steel and Patricia Cornwall. And I have always loved the romantic classics in the genre of Jane Eyre, Little Women, and Pride and Prejudice. These days, however, after the devastating loss of my beloved son, I'm devouring books on suicide survival and the journey of life on the "other side". I'm still looking for answers. And being alone in that quest—after my husband of thirty-seven years abandoned the marriage—has not been easy. But I always know that my son continues to encourage me (as he always did) to follow my dreams of entrepreneurship and authorship.

Now, I can't help but feel that through adversity writing has become a purpose for the remaining days of my life. I am compelled to write my story of unwitting life with a sociopath. It needs to be cathartic, but mostly the intention is to help prevent even one woman from stumbling down that same path. When I am strong enough, it is imperative to write my son's story, as well, and give meaning to his all-too-brief and anguished life. He will tell me when the time is right. And there could even be a third book hiding in this old brain of mine! One never knows.

As a giant step in my pursuit of authorship, I recently attended my very first Pikes Peak Writers Conference. I was told about PPW by a dear friend who has been a published author for many years. I was able to attend one monthly meeting, but I found it noisy and daunting. They were speaking a language I had never heard before. A myriad of "insider" terms left me feeling perhaps this was not the place for me, after all. Or was I just missing something? But it was at that same meeting that I learned about the opportunity to win a scholarship to the PPWC one-day workshops. I mentioned it to my writer friend, and she said it would be an excellent opportunity for me to get my feet wet in the frustrating world of getting published.  She further explained that a full three-day conference, to a novice, would feel like "trying to take a drink from a fire hose." An accurate, albeit extreme, analogy.

So, feeling I had nothing to lose, I took a leap of faith and submitted my scholarship entry, quite literally, at the eleventh hour. I could not have imagined that I would actually be awarded that scholarship! I was thrilled to receive an e-mail notifying me that I been chosen to receive this year's scholarship. And I had even been awarded my first choice workshops! I couldn't wait. I felt like a five-year-old on the first day of school! I took confirmation of the award and a notebook of my writings, and nervously entered a whole new world.

My first workshop was "Truth and Consequences: The Pleasures and Perils of Writing Memoir, Personal Essay and Creative Nonfiction," presented by Katherine Eastburn. I could not have asked for a better initiation into the world of writing. Her presentation was warm and personable, informative and experienced. She made me feel as if I was in a one-on-one mentorship and she was talking directly to me. Of course, she was there for all of us, but if each participant felt the same way, Ms. Eastburn had done what she came for. She explained the genre in detail, provided countless resources, and offered smart suggestions. Even if I had only attended this one session, it was a wealth of guidance and support.

The afternoon workshop, "The Four P's of Nonfiction," presented by Matthew Frederick, was a virtual "how-to" in the pursuit of publication. He outlined what publishers are looking for and the best path for achieving those goals. A self-identified atheist, and somewhat more direct and matter-of-fact than Ms. Eastburn, Mr. Frederick was nonetheless a fountain of "inside" information. He provided additional resources, truthful insight, and abundant encouragement to all seekers of literary achievement.

Overall, my first foray into the formidable world of professional writing was a fruitful one. One simply does not write what they wish, send it off to a publisher and become a best-selling author. Not in the real world, anyway. It takes skill, determination and lots of patience, the latter of which I have in abundance. Stephen King was not an overnight sensation. But he did persevere. And so shall I, with God's grace.

About the Author: Writing has always given me a sense of "ownership" of my own thoughts. I've enjoyed writing articles, correspondence and poetry. But not until recent hardships in my life, did my writing become an integral part of trying to make sense of it all. My husband's abandonment of a 37-year marriage has inspired me to write something that might save someone else from the same fate.  Something cathartic and cautionary. And the recent life-shattering loss of my only son will be a future inspiration, when I am emotionally strong enough to pen his story. Until then, it's one day at a time.