1000 things to write a story about (ideas)
Jump in and get warm.
I am not an experienced writer, but I do have a lot of experience with idea generation. I have written over 2000 of my own songs, loads of personal writing on paper, lyrics, blogs, articles, essays and general web content. Instead of trying to decide on one good idea for a novel, it's always best (especially when you're starting) to pick a random topic and take it up as a challenge. Only write a short story and set yourself a limit. Don't worry about anything at all, just be prolific. You don't have to show anyone your work until you're happy with it yourself. The best way is to just get the juices flowing, think like an athlete does when they practice on the track, they run complete races every day.
I'm not suggesting that you write a story every day (although you could), but don't get caught up in the idea that you have to write a full sized novel and that it has to be the best idea that anyone has ever thought of! Just write, don't be overly critical, this technique applies to everything. Don't over-think, just jump in and swim around.
You're a squid, after-all.
... and in the same fashion, I'm writing this lens with not much critical thought, I'm going for 1000 ideas so you might arrive to a couple of hundred because I'm going to add these over time.
Tip: You might like to find a 200 sided online dice (or something similar) to help you choose a random topic from this list. Don't argue with the decision, just get cracking and write!
Action (titles)
Everyone loves a bit of action, here are a few ideas that will hopefully get you kickstarted with a good action novel.
1. Run from the gun
2. The lonely hostage
3. The circle of credit (someone owes someone money, who owes someone money, the debt goes back to the original person)
4. The average cop
5. 1 hour
6. Save Bella
7. Long time China
8. Ravaged
9. Motorspeed
10. 100 feet below the atmosphere
11. Jump
12. Speedometer
13. Twisted Racers
14. Chasing the sky
15. Reverse Clock
16. Motion Ocean
17. An hour in prison
18. Chopper night
19. The Bureau
20. Angry Assassin
Drama
Drama queens are out, but drama as a writing genre, is in! Here are a few random drama topics or titles to get you on your way to writing the next greatest drama novel.
21. The girl who used to live next door
22. Made from love
23. They only just kissed
24. Talking with Dave
25. Stuff people like
26. Days of old
27. More than I can handle
28. My crazy mother
29. When I was a child
30. The narrow path
31. Blackwater travels
33. The girl who cried "fish"
34. Locket
35. Please save us
36. My teacher
37. The broken violin
38. Starvation Nation
39. People who love
40. The tied vote
41. Mr. Bus
42. Unspoken (story about a mute person)
43. Fallen
44. Take me with you
45. Just the 1 of me
46. Tiresome nights
47. One day at the little Italian cafe
48. Expectations
49. The perfect idea
50. Summersnow
Have you written Before?
Have you written any sort of story (20 pages or more) before?
Horror
Here are a few ideas for a horror story, these can be used as a title, the opening line, or just as inspiration. I'm trying to keep this as clean as possible but just a warning for this section of the lens, it may contain graphic language.
51. Decapitation
52. Mass Slaughter
53. The blade
54. Psychochick
55. God of death
56. The Empty tomb
57. The Unholy Act
58. Deathwisher
59. The man who lived in the walls.
60. Look, behind you!
61. Clownlady
62. Razorclaws
63. Did you hear that?
64. Someone is outside my window
65. Kittycutter
Kids and Children's Book Ideas
Kids books are short and simple but that doesn't mean it's an easy task. You need a fantastic illustrator or artist and you need a good sense of what it's like to be a child. If you can't remember, then hang out with some children for a few days to remind yourself, I guarantee you'll learn something!
66. The Womble in the closet
67. Harry the Duck
68. Petra the Pink Pelican
69. The boy who ate worms
70. The talking washing machine
71. The boy who was not nice
72. Over the fence
73. Greenboy
74. The goat and the mouse
75. Magical Lollipops
