A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 16

This is the sixth year in a row I’ve run this series in April.

Today: Woman brings life-size cutout of late father on trip so they can travel together one last time.

Jinna Yang wouldn’t let her father’s death keep him from his dream of seeing the world. So, she made a life-size cutout of her dad and brought it with her to Europe, snapping photos at the Eiffel Tower, Roman Colosseum, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and other landmarks.

It has been a healing experience for Jinna; it took her two years to come to terms with her father dying from cancer, and she needed a fresh start from a bad work environment and unsupportive boyfriend. Throughout her journey, she has posted photos to Instagram and her blog, Grease & Glamour, where she also shares information about her beloved dad. “My father never had the chance to travel the world,” she wrote. “He sacrificed his entire life for others — his parents, his children, his wife, his family, and his friends.”

Here are some images from Jinna’s blog:

My guess Jinna was inspired by a minor subplot in the movie Up In the Air (Ryan is supposed to get a picture of his sister and her fiance’s cutout photo in front of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas). No matter, this seems like a no-brainer indie-dramedy. It’s like is Lars from Lars and the Real Girl woke up and said, “Real Girl, we’re goin’ on a road trip.”

In this story, you’re trafficking in some big emotional issues. Death. Grief. Separation. And saying goodbye.

Who might our Protagonist meet in her road trip? Perhaps some potential travel companions. Maybe an eventual love interest. Could the Protagonist lose the Cut Out. Or it gets kidnapped along the way?

It’s Lars and the Real Girl meets The Bucket List.

There you go: My sixteenth story idea for the month. And it’s yours. Free!

What would you do with it?

Each day this month, I invite you to join me in comments to do some brainstorming. Gender bend, genre bend, what if. Take each day’s story idea and see what it can become when we play around with it. These are all valuable skills for a writer to develop.

See you in comments (hit Reply to join the conversation). And come back tomorrow for another Story Idea Each Day For A Month.

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