A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 1
Why a story idea each day for the month of April? Several reasons which I’ll work my through during this series of posts. For today, the most basic one:
If you have any aspirations of becoming a professional screenwriter, you must be in the habit of generating story concepts.
Let’s say you write and sell a spec script. Congratulations. You’re the “flavor-of-the-week.” Your agent and manager set up meetings across Hollywood with producers and studio execs. The first words out of their mouths will likely be some variation of “Love your script “ (even if they haven’t really read it). The second thing they say will almost assuredly be, “What else have you got?” If you haven’t been developing other stories, that is likely to be a very short meeting.
There are many ways to generate story ideas. This month, I focus on one: Looking for ideas in news sources. Each of the items I’ll be posting for the next 30 days comes from a news site.
Today’s story idea: High school fooled by faux teenager:
ODESSA, Texas — A lot of guys dream about going back to high school and recapturing their athletic glory days. A man who went by the name of Jerry Joseph did it, police say, and now he’s in big trouble.
Authorities say the boyish-looking 22-year-old posed as a 16-year-old sophomore phenom to lead the Permian High School basketball team to the state playoffs. He was jailed on fraud charges, and the rabidly competitive West Texas high school that inspired the movie “Friday Night Lights” may have to forfeit its season.
“Everyone just thought he was a big guy,” said Permian senior football player Steven Pipes. “He played the part good, skipping down the hallways acting goofy like a 16-year-old.”
So let’s brainstorm: What can we do with this story conceit? A few things come to my mind:
* Comedy: The fun and foibles of a 22 year-old posing as a teenager. Getting hit on by underage girls. Perhaps falling for one of his teachers, but he can’t tell her the truth lest he expose his secret.
* Satire: What if the local powers that be find bring in this guy as a ‘ringer’ to help the team finally break a losing streak against a rival high school? Suddenly this physically gifted but mentally challenged guy becomes a celeb — with high school girls, teachers, and frustrated housewives. It’s Shampoo meets Friday Night Lights.
* Thriller: There’s this New Guy in town. Tries out for the team. Amazing. Takes away the starting position from our Protagonist. The P has suspicions about the New Guy. Starts to investigate and concludes he is not who he says he is. But the New Guy is having the time of his life and he won’t let the Protagonist stand in his way of adulation, partying, and all the girls he wants. The P is getting harassed. Is it by the New Guy? And is he coming after the P’s girlfriend, maybe his family? Then the P discovers a long history of the New Guy rolling into towns with same modus operandi, always leaving behind a trail of violence…
What would you do with this story conceit?
As per last year, I’m giving away the ideas, so feel free to run with it.