When you're stumped for a great idea to write about, lock your creative focus around ONE single, solitary thing. It can be concrete (like a birdhouse) or abstract (like insanity). Then, build a brief mental summary around that one thing. Think of where the story begins, gets interesting, and (if possible) how it ends.
Then you just sit down and write the f*cker.
Beginning
For example, imagine you're a little kid moving into a quaint suburban home. Your mom notices a birdhouse hanging from a tree in the backyard, gives you some bread crumbs, and has you load it up. She has a thing for birds. You think they poop too much. Anyway, you do as she says and notice something shiny inside of the birdhouse's round entrance.
Interesting
You pull out a small black remote control with a tiny red button. When you press it, a section of the backyard slides open to reveal a flight of descending steps. Stupid and curious, you check it out and stumble upon a secret lair. Apparently, the previous owner was a super hero who went missing months ago. But all of his toys are just lying around . . . begging to be used.
End
You and your idiot friends save the hero, stop the villain, and maybe even save the world. The hero, impressed by your luck/grit/genius, offers to train you all as sidekicks.
All of that came out of a friggin' birdhouse. If you have a wicked imagination and something to focus it upon, there's no telling where you can go wtih an idea. This little technique is similar to a writing prompt, but not quite as restrained.
Okay, now for an abstract idea.
Beginning
You're driving from a party. While you've had a few drinks, you're not drunk. Still, your brakes are crap, the road you're on is wet, and your big car slams into a compact and kills four innocent people. You pass the breathalyzer test (barely) and the whole thing's deemed an accident. While you feel bad about what happened, you don't think it's your fault. It's just an act of God. As you leave the courtroom, the elder sister of one of the victims warns you that you're gonna pay.
Interesting
A week or two, you're off to work, minding your own business, and folks start giving you evil looks. You notice it when you get your coffee, board the subway, and sit in your cubicle. By the end of the first day, even your best buds at work are inexplicably mad at you . . . and barely hold it back. On your way home, folks start attacking you. At first, it's one or two people. But then it turns into an angry mob. Even the cops are shooting at you. After a few failed attempts at getting help, you hide out in an isolated area.
You can still safely contact people by phone/e-mail. But person-to-person contact makes those around you downright hostile toward you. Then, one day, the elder sister contacts you and tells you that she's leveled an "insanity" curse upon you.
Anyone you're around will hear "voices" telling them to kill you. The longer you're around people, the more persuasive those "voices" get. In time, even your own mother would kill you. If you get away from someone affected by this insanity curse, they'll be fine in about a day's time . . . and forget ever trying to kill you. When you ask her why she did it, she hatefully explains that those four victims meant everything to her. By killing them, you condemned her to a painful life of solitude. She's merely returning the favor.
End
Fast-forward a few decades and picture yourself as a lonely old man in a remote cabin. You invite a reporter to stop by and record your story. And as you tell the reporter about those terrible days, you wait for the reporter to go berserk and kill you ('cause you want to die). But nothing happens. The reporter laughs off your story and leaves. You ask around and learn that the witch undid the curse years ago, while on her deathbed (but never told you).
Now that's messed up. And I spent all of twenty minutes spitting this concept up, just by putting a slant on insanity.
Pick something average, ordinary, and boring. Then make it different, twisted, and part of greater whole.
Adios.
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