A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 4
This is the sixth year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I’ll work my through during this series of posts. Here’s another one:
You can evolve into being a writer-producer.
Let’s face it, you can only write so much. But sitting on your side of the table, all those story meetings you’ve had to endure, you’ve probably developed a pretty good sense of what it takes to be a producer at least on a creative level.
Why not don that hat, too?
A quick way to jump start you producing career: Come up with story ideas. Here’s a great example: “Woogles”, a pitch that sold a while back from writers Nick Antosca and Ned Vizzini. Who is producing the movie? Screenwriter Max Landis (Chronicle) who came up with the story idea for the project that sold.
That could be you.
Today’s story idea: Squirrel causes $300,000 in damage to Indiana building.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Officials say a wayward squirrel caused about $300,000 in damage to an eastern Indiana community center set to open in June.
Fort Wayne Parks Department officials say the squirrel got into the electrical equipment of the building in McMillen Park last week, causing a power surge that damaged the heating and air conditioning systems and some parts of the boiler system. The squirrel didn’t survive.
Here’s a creepy robot-voiced news report about the terrorist squirrel:
The squirrel didn’t survive? Not in my story! For in this horror-satire, a group of squirrels has been happily living inside and around an abandoned cabin. Then one weekend, a bunch of hipsters show up, the place evidently bequeathed to one of them by his grandfather. Their intention: This place will be a retreat center for the group to get high and use the forest surroundings to inspire their “creative musings”.
But these urbane urbanites are about to get a series of lessons about nature vs. nurture from these furry bastards…
And nature wins out!
How about you? What would you do with destructive squirrels?
There you go: My fourth story idea for the month. And it’s yours. Free!
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. And come back tomorrow for another Story Idea Each Day For A Month.
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