Story prompts...?

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:17 pm

I don't know about anyone else, but I've been itching to write recently (in all my spare time... XD ) but just haven't been able to come up with anything to write about. Mostly because I have a handful of half-started characters that I don't know what to do with and because I have a ton of established characters that I...don't...know...what..to../do/..with!

I know we've got generators to develop characters and generators to give stuck artists ideas...but do we have any generators to give stuck writers ideas? Character development generators don't help because I want to write for established characters. Dragon generators and such don't help because I'm not drawing anything. I guess what I really need is a generator that spits out a random event. Like "While on the way to visit a family member your character stumbles upon an evil magician and his plot to destroy the world!" Yeah, sucky plot idea but whatever... If I could come up with good random events I probably wouldn't be stuck! XD

So I guess my 'ideas'/questions are the following:

1. Does anyone else think this would be helpful?

2. Do any of our talented generator builders want to take this on? (I'd figure out the code myself but um...when? XD I'll basically be writing in stolen moments at work and coding is not something I can pull off at work mainly because I go into programming mode and forget where I am and who I am and get computer-screen-glazed-eye syndrome and would end up getting in trouble for being late for class and meetings and... XD)

3. Are any of you out there good at coming up with interesting random events? And would you want to contribute to a database?

If lots of people like the idea and we can gather a good list of random events (to be added to constantly I would wager) then it might make for a great resource for those of us who don't know what else to do with our already established characters! I know a lot of my stories end up with "and they bonded their dragon and lived happily ever after" just because I have /no/ idea what to do with them once they're bonded unless I developed them to be part of some grand plot. And even then, tangents and distractions and minor plots are always fun to add in!

So yeah, what do you think Nexians?

Maybe I'm just grasping at straws because I need ideas, but done right, this might be rather helpful...

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:22 pm

There are indeed generators which spit out silly or serious stuff.

http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-writ.php

Myself, I've tried to put together a generator which would help me with my multiple-genre character base, by choosing a couple different characters and then sticking them in a random location/world. However, I have THOUSANDS of characters, and never finished up that project.

I've usually found that my stories write themselves if I've got two reasonably clear personalities and a location. Try mixing and matching, and throwing characters into a situation where their personalities will become dynamic.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:37 pm

There are a buttload of groups of live-journal if you are a live-journal person. I believe "Muse Therapy" aaaand "Writer's Muses" are my two favourites. Writers Muses has the absolute most "daily writing prompts" I have /ever/ seen.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:58 pm

Pageperday on livejournal is something a friend of mine came up with, but it's far more 'random inspiration bits' than 'do this nao.' It's now dead, but there's plenty of archives for you to wander through if you want.

Possibly helpful?

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:28 pm

Yeah, while I appreciate the suggestions I'm not looking for prompts for /new/ stories, I'm looking for prompts for already in progress stories. Wrenches to throw in the works if nothing else. I've already got characters with lives and routines and all that...I just need interesting things for them to do....but within the context of the world they already inhabit, you know?

And I feel like the Nexus has lots of inspiration for artists and not so much for writers... So I was hoping this could help fix that...

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:15 pm

* The return of an old "friend"

* An unexpected pregnancy

* Accidental travel

* Criminal activity

* Natural Disaster

* Getting a new pet

* Attending a musical show/concert/reading/play

* Being stalked

* Being blinded/temporarily disabled

* Hostile Invasion!

* Hidden Rooms to explore

* Weather issues

.... off the top of my head.

Post by **Dray** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:35 pm

I'd love to see planet/agency/etc.-based prompts that people could use for their stay... wherever. Say, for me, 'An unexpected dust storm on Driolo forces ___ to take refuge with [a sultry dame/buck; OR a tarnished war vet; OR a suspicious space pirate]' etc. XD

Alternately, dragon-specific prompts, like '___'s dragon comes down with a strange flu' or '____'s dragon suddenly receives unidentified visions' or... stuff like that! A spectrum from serious to wacky would be cool! X3

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:09 am

That's a good idea, Dray! I like the agency specific ones... I should work on a list of things that could happen to a person/dragon at The Lodge (assuming I ever put out a clutch there... XP ).

And thanks Shard! When I have time later I'll see if I can grab something off your list and run with it...