Short Story Ideas - Random. Random Words Sometimes you don't know where to start with a story.
You might have a vague idea about characters, but don't know what situation to put them in. Other times, you have a plot but don't know what to do with it. Maybe you just have no idea at all what story to write! Story Starters & Idea Generators. One of the best ways to break through writer's block or stretch your writing skills is to pick a story starter and just start writing. Suggestions on how to use each generator are included with the generator. Caveat: There's always a temptation to keep looking for the "perfect" idea, but then you need to ask yourself...are you really just trying to avoid writing?
Problem: You can't get a story started Solution: Archetype's Plot Scenario Generator What it is: This generator provides you with the event that gets the story rolling and a secondary conflict to keep you going! Problem: Your characters lack depth Solution: Archetype's Character Generator. Big Huge Thesaurus: Synonyms, antonyms, and rhymes (oh my!) The Sixty Second Writer. The Almost Totally Random Writing Exercise Generator. You're the Inspiration...
Several years ago, I saw a random paring generator on a friend's website, and thought it was neat, but wanted something a little less specific for my own use, since I liked to choose my own pairing. I created The Almost Totally Random Writing Exercise Generator, with input from ElmyraEmilie to generate writing exercises to inspire our writing muses.
The premise is that each prompt included a technical parameter (such as pov, word length or writing time), a writing style or character type parameter, and a word or phrase for inspiration. Any parameter was subject to inspiration, of course, as the object was merely to get writing. In most of the generators, prompts are not fandom related so that they can be used with any fandom, or for original writing. The Almost Totally Random Writing Exercise Generators are based on the random pairing Generator by Glowstick Chick (and tweaked by others, including docmichelle - her version is here) Writing & Blogging Prompts, Story Topic Generators, Photo Inspiration. The Brainstormer - The Art of Andrew Bosley.
The Brainstormer9/16/13: Brainstormer Facebook Page Read reviews of the app and see what others are doing with the Brainstormer!
Visit, "like it", and pass it along! 9/16/13: More wheels! New features! Fully customizable! The Brainstormer Iphone App is updated and improved! When I was in school at SJSU, studying visual development and illustration, I was always trying to give myself little concept projects to keep myself sharp and thinking. Plot Scenario Generator. 29 ways to stay creative by Huub Koch (therealhuubkoch) on Mobypicture. Creativity Questionnaires. English 50 Exercises for Story Writers. English 50 – Intro to Creative Writing: Exercises for Story Writers Basic Theory: What is a short story?
As soon as someone delivers a definition, some good writer will write a story that proves the theory wrong. About the only thing we can say for sure is that short stories are short and that they are written in what we call prose. Some attributes, however, seem to show up more often than not. Short stories have a narrator; that is, someone tells the story; have at least one character in them; have some action occur (or perhaps fails to occur); take place somewhere; that is, there is a setting for the action; and someone either learns something or fails to learn something (theme).With these five characteristics in mind, we can create an almost endless supply of exercises to help sharpen our techniques of story telling.
Narrative Voice Twenty or so years ago, voice was the "rite of passage" into a successful writing career. Creative Writing Prompts for Sci-Fi &Fantasy... Posted by Melissa Donovan on April 5, 2013 · Fantastical creative writing prompts.
In the world of creative writing, we’ve only begun tapping the possibilities in speculative fiction, a genre that includes science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, horror, and superhero stories, as well as anything that ventures beyond known reality. Speculative fiction is an under-recognized genre: Academia and literary elitists traditionally haven’t given it much credence, although it has been gaining acclaim in recent years. But the genre’s fans are rabid. In fact, you won’t find a more dedicated group of readers anywhere else, which makes reading and writing speculative fiction a delight. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to step outside of reality and see just what your imagination can do. You can write about knights and dragons, spaceships and far-off planets, the apocalypse, ghosts, or strange islands with magical properties. The creative writing prompts below can be used in any way you want.
The Almost Totally Random Writing Exercise Generator. Write or Die by Dr Wicked. The Majency Oracle. The Majency Oracle is a 169-card deck of original prompts or “matches” to spark the imagination of writers, poets, or any creative individual that needs inspiration.
The deck is designed to be printed on any color printer, on standard 3×5 index cards. It features a variety of color schemes and background images to create a unique experience each time a card is drawn. Each card contains a single phrase designed to prod the creative mind down a path of its own. It might be a snippet of dialogue that suggests an overheard conversation; it might be a fragment of a description of a visual scene, one that could lend itself to a depiction in paint or prose. It could point to things waiting to be created, as small as a short story or as large as a mythology. Download the deck by clicking here.
Page 1 of the PDF file is the optional backer (seen above). Page 2 is the copyright notice. The deck proper begins on page 3, with one card per page. Then turn your attention to your own blank slate.