A post on the Script Lab blog shares seven interesting ways to generate ideas for your next story. “By now, you’ve accepted that you have to do some stealing to come up with new ideas, so we’ve come up with seven ways to generate creative ideas for your screenplays… with only a touch of thievery involved.”
- The _____ From Hell. Jaws is the shark from hell. Pacific Heights is the tenant from hell. The Hangover is the bachelor party from hell.
- Start with the Flaw or Wound. Create a character with a distinct flaw and then build your plot around poking it.
- Lists of Ten. As quickly as you can, write a list of settings. When you’re done, continue with character flaws, things to fear, genre tropes, or any other element of story. Once you have your lists, mash a few things together until something clicks.
- Fish-Out-of-Water. Just about any genre or setting is adaptable to a fish out of water story, from Legally Blonde or Men in Black.
- Genre Mashing or Switching. Take a premise and change the genre. For example, the film Freaky combines the wacky premise of Freaky Friday with the darkness of a horror film by having a teenage girl swap bodies with a serial killer. The change in genre makes a tired premise feel fresh and unpredictable.
- Spy on People. Plenty of writers share their ideas on social media. While you shouldn’t go too deep, you can explore premises and story sparks you pick up online. The choices you make and way you tell a story will make it unique.
- Dive into Internet Rabbit Holes. Search Reddit, Twitter, or Wikipedia for story seeds and follow the links until you find something that sparks your imagination.
