A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 8

This is the fourth 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 always need more than one in your gun.

Want that explained? Go here to read a Business of Screenwriting post from January 6, 2011.

Today’s story idea: 10 Lost Treasures:

Okay, all you action-adventure fans. Need something to hang an A-plot on? Take your pick. Raiders of the Lost Ark had the Ark of the Covenant. Perhaps you can spin a yarn featuring the Secret City of the Paititi. Or the Crown Jewels of King John. Maybe the Amber Room. Then again the Oak Island Money Pit sure looks interesting.

“It’s the stuff dreams are made of.” The famous last line from the noir classic The Maltese Falcon. A private detective, three criminals and a gorgeous liar, all in pursuit of a priceless statue.

Bottom line, the object of pursuit is the excuse for a story. The diamonds in Marathon Man. The figurine with microfilm in North by Northwest. The buried treasure in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. A map leading to treasure in Romancing the Stone. Leaked files in Safe House.

We are talking the proverbial briefcase full of cash.

There are ten of them above from which you can choose.

Which one do you find the most interesting? What would you do with it to create a Hollywood movie?

Another idea for you. And it’s 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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