I have always wondered how we were supposed to show, but not tell. Daily life looks very different now. A comedy series about a woman and her many sexual partners. A drama about a post-apocalyptic society trying to return to their technological past. Something is going on. A character realizes they are a part of a lab experiment in the middle of a test and desires to do nothing but escape. An old fable from a girl’s youth comes to life. Whether you're in a writing rut, need an idea for a new medium, or are tired of making excuses about finding the best story idea, this list of 365 story ideas makes it easy to find an idea that works for you and get inspired! Share your opinions by writing a review of a piece of art or culture for other teenagers who are stuck at home. A group of boarding school students prepare for another summer back home with their families. A couple addresses their relationship after the fifth miscarriage they’ve experienced. A character confronts their illogical but deeply real fear of being sucked down by the bathtub drain. They know something that they’re not telling any of the rest of us.”, That stuck with me, because that’s where good stories tend to come from: An observed, and yet inexplicable, trend within a given area coupled with people who give lame excuses as to WHY that trend is occurring or brush you off when you ask about it. (See a whole list here. But writing can also be deeply therapeutic. Publishing Opportunity: When you feel like your piece is “something great,” consider submitting it to one of the publishing opportunities we’ve suggested above.
Read the entire article. An unprepared runner powers through the last mile of their marathon.
A character looks to escape a life threatening situation in a foreign country. Here’s what I mean: We just sold our house and it took a minor miracle for this to happen. Here are a few we’ve asked students so far: Should Schools Change How They Grade Students During the Pandemic? The story describes the actions of the characters as they try to achieve these goals.
A character explains what it's like to be physically invisible. I have student debt and started paying the accrued interest last month. This belief may be based on religion, on something he learned from his parents, or on his own experience. A famous saying gets credited to the wrong person, but no one will believe them when they correct people. Modular origami has been my absolute favorite occupational therapy since I was a restless child: the process is enthralling and soothing. The couple pivoted their initial plans – and got an even more memorable story to tell. A character's home is split in two by a sudden Earthquake.
A character attempts to poison someone, only for it to poison themselves instead. For more ideas… A kid pets sits their neighbors dog only for it to escape. My flash fiction, (less than 200 words) usually involves internal conflict. The Two Types of Story Crisis.
Billboards blink and storefronts shine in neon. This simple act — done carefully and from a safe distance — palpably reduces our sense of fear and isolation. A sparrow catalogues it’s day flying through New York City. A character tries to convince their friend to become vegan.
Ohio patient Nic Brown shared his gratitude with the hardworking medical staff who helped him get back to health. You might try translating any of the writing projects above into podcast form. Publishing Opportunity: The International Center of Photography is collecting a virtual archive of images related to the coronavirus pandemic. Not only do you need to be sensitive to your audience, it’s helpful to know that your audience is going through a deeply sensitive time.
At the Bryn Celyn Care Home in Maesteg, Wales, nurses helped residents play a life-sized version of the classic children’s game “Hungry Hungry Hippos.”. A character re-examines their sexual preferences after a divorce. We don’t need to know whether her eyes were like emeralds or sapphires, or whether her lips were like rubies or coral.). A musical about the Black Power Movement. Here are some other thoughts: I’ve often joked that paranoia is my best friend, particularly when it comes to fact-checking and attributions in my writing.
A comedy series about life in the fashion industry. The 36 Hours editors suggest thinking “within the spirit of travel, even if many of us are housebound.” For example: an album or a song playlist; a book or movie that transports you; a particular recipe you love; or a clever way to virtually connect with family and friends. My handout, “Show, Don’t (Just) Tell,” reminds us that some of the most expressive and interesting writing re-creates for the reader the very experience that the characters in the story are living. If you wouldn’t normally create video content, now is a great time to start learning! What effect has this crisis had on your own mental and emotional health? A mother and daughter take a trip to their home town in an attempt to save their relationship. How Are You Adapting During the Pandemic? Are games, television, music, books, art or movies providing you with a much-needed distraction during the pandemic? But a sampling of stopgap offerings often left me underwhelmed. If that’s the case, try writing an editorial about something you have a strong opinion about related to the coronavirus. Beginning authors often focus on the exciting crisis rather than the conflict that makes readers care about the characters enduring the crisis. Another option? Read the rest of the essay and view the photos. A matriarch deals with a rising male leader threatening her power. Good storytellers differentiate between a crisis (an emergency, such as a car crash or an illness) and conflict (a clash of wills, a difficult moral choice, or an internal mental struggle). A scientist develops and sells a medicine that saves lives, but isn't legal.
Use the free ‘Central Idea’ section of the Now Novel. A small community puts aside their differences to resist a corporation looking to make some changes to their town.
Or, see our list of 70-plus places that publish teenage writing and art to find more. We also saw the character change. If anything proves this point, it is the Opinion section’s ongoing visual diary, “Art in Isolation.” Scroll through this collection to see clever and poignant illustrations about life in these uncertain times. In the midst of a war, the women of a local town abandon their neighborhood only a week before their husbands and sons return. Pingback: Seek Personal Conflict, not Just a Situational Crisis: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Writing Tip Jerz's Literacy Weblog, Email Tips
A botanist gets lost in their greenhouse and must fight for a way out. You might suggest TV shows, novels, podcasts, video games, recipes or anything else. A feminine, girly woman attempts to make in the comedy scene. What are you an expert at that you can you teach someone? The reader has no reason to fall for her, and the reader learns nothing in particular about the narrator. Can you bring them a hot dish or home-baked bread? Under the circumstances, it would be churlish to complain about artists’ desire to connect with audiences in some fashion.
The president of the United States gives a formal address to a group that he has actively oppressed his entire term. An airplane pilot finds out mid-flight that his wife cheated on him. A character develops the power to alter their personality, but cannot control it.