# May I have an idea for a short story, please? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 2, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764 "2003-07-02T13:15:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/1 "2003-07-02T13:15:56Z")
I would like to write a short story but realize that decades as a student and worker bee have left me unable to do anything without a specific assignment. You people, though, are chock full of ideas. Care to share one? A subject, maybe a genre; I can take it from there. Thank you in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/2 "2003-07-02T13:21:14Z")
How short we talking here? Magazine length maybe? Any genre you more comfortable with? Potential plot outline for 50 or so pages: Hitchhiker picked up by deaf mute. Miles before passenger realizes the problem of getting a conversation going. Learns driver is a short story writer looking for a plot. The hitchhiker makes signs to indicate he came from the swamp and was nearly eaten by a croc/gator. Driver misinterprets signs and writes story of gay swimmer. Hitchhiker gets let out miles from civilizarion. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/3 "2003-07-02T13:21:56Z")
By the way, the first person to say, “If you have nothing to say you have no business writing,” will be Pitted for having paid so little attention to my posts here. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/4 "2003-07-02T13:26:38Z")
Zeldar, that’s a nice story. Perhaps you should write it yourself, since you’ve plotted it out so nicely. In my case, as I have no intention to get it published (it’s just for practice), genre is flexible and length will probably be short. I don’t need a full plot, just the simplest of subjects, though more plots like yours might be fun for everybody here to read and I may officially change the direction of the thread if it starts going that way, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/5 "2003-07-02T13:32:49Z")
I like Zeldar’s, too. Off the top of my head: Guy decides to clean up by selling his (vinyl) record collection, but finds that one of the records is missing from the sleeve. Since he doesn’t recognize the sleeve, he gets curious and wants to find out what the missing record sounds like. Then he finds out the band/record doesn’t exist according to the catalogues. Continue from there. You can go romance novel (guy meets girl on his quest), mystery, spy, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/6 "2003-07-02T13:35:15Z")
Sounds fair, dropzone. So would you give a sample of what you do want? Like setting? Character(s)? Time period? Major issue(s)? Mine was as off-the-cuff as I could get, just a juice-starter, if you will. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/7 "2003-07-02T13:48:57Z")
I’m, as usual, not sure what I’m looking for. It’s been so long since I’ve written any fiction (decades) that the brain cells that used to do it have been replaced two times over. Maybe something like one from any two of your catagories? Just something to prime the pump. But Tusculan, this guy wants to SELL his vinyl? And he doesn’t already have a wife to pressure hime to do it? What is this, bizarre science fiction? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/8 "2003-07-02T13:50:27Z")
A mismatched group of adventurers decide to travel across the country through enemy lands to destroy an artifact of incredible magical power; in order to do so, they must travel to the deeps of the very stronghold of the villain who created it in the first place and who is, in fact, the villain they face! What? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/9 "2003-07-02T13:52:38Z")
One more shot: Desert island as in “The Beach” where two kids from a shipwreck (of opposite sex and in the preteens) don’t find anything at all attractive or interesting about each other and try to get as far away from each other as possible, or maybe (like in that Lee Marvin - Toshiro Mifune war movie) try to find ways to kill each other. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/10 "2003-07-02T14:05:38Z")
Hmmmmm…that has potential. The anti-Blue Lagoon. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/11 "2003-07-02T14:17:42Z")
Veterinarian becomes hero after Anthrax attack because (s)he has been vaccinated. Sherlock Holmes story told from Mrs. Hudson’s (thats the neighbor, right?) point of view. Plane crash lands in a remore spot–survivors discover some bizarre animal (12 foot tall flightless bird, woolly mammoth, etc) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/12 "2003-07-02T14:24:13Z")
Mmm, **Ethilrist** , you saw the _short_ story, didn’t you? 😉 Well, **drop** , you’re right that mine was a rather stupid idea. That’s why I haven’t properly finished a short story myself. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/13 "2003-07-02T14:27:21Z")
Not stupid, just (and I’m speaking only as a vinyl collector with the usual strong views on the subject) INCONCEIVABLE! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/14 "2003-07-02T14:30:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dropzone \* > \*\*Hmmmmm…that has potential. The anti-Blue Lagoon. > > Thanks! \*\* Sure! Your “title” might go off into sci-fi with: The Ultraviolet Lagoon The Infrared Lagoon The Invisible Lagoon The Dry Lagoon or maybe a spinoff-type thing from that 60’s Fifth Dimension song: Up. Up. And Away in my beautiful lagoon. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/15 "2003-07-02T14:36:12Z")
Story consists of exchange of text messages via pager, between female and male. At first appears to be neutral chitchat, but it turns out that female is stripper asking about possible clubs she could dance at in new town 1500 miles away and male is customer who has developed crush on stripper, and realizes that he is unlikely ever to see her again. Nope, haven’t a clue where I came up with that scenario, nosirree. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/16 "2003-07-02T14:45:18Z")
After some “serious” consideration, and based on my calculation that the UFO phenom only came to the minds of Earthlings once they knew it was possible to fly faster than the speed of sound. Some recluse inventor/theoretician manages after much sweat and toil to come up with The Original Idea. Nothing like it ever even considered by the wildest thinking fantasy writers. Manages to get it constructed (or realized in whatever form it really is) and is about to take the idea to the Patent Office, only to see a guy in front of him with the same device/gizmo/whatever. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/17 "2003-07-02T15:48:22Z")
Kind of off the charts, but a good idea I used whennI was teaching CW a few decades beack: I found a short story, and summed up the plot in generic terms, gave quick sketches of important characteristics, etc. and then asked my students to write the short story. We then compared versions, and then compared them to the original (which none of my students had read). It taught people about structure and technique very nicely. You’ll need some help in selecting various short stories you haven’t read yet, but I imagine the SDMB will be able to supply some. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/18 "2003-07-02T16:15:54Z")
Interesting idea, pseudo. That could be fun, not just for me but for others here. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/19 "2003-07-02T16:34:45Z")
Ooh, that does sound like fun. I’ve always wanted to go away on that weekend where all the writers have to write a play/novella in two or three days. As for ideas, the trusty daily newspaper is your best friend. I’ve got a box full of news clippings, each a potential story or subplot. If all you want is an exercise, try just fleshing out the characters mentioned and centre your story around the article’s “plot” (e.g. what happened leading up to it?). If you can’t find anything great, check out [http://www.newsoftheweird.com/](http://www.newsoftheweird.com/) . ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764/20 "2003-07-02T18:16:14Z")
Odysseus boards his ship and sets SAIL for Greece, where his family is awaiting his RETURN from Troy. A STORM happens, and it drives them off course into the MEDITERRANEAN, where they come upon a strange LAND owned by the giant Cyclops POLYPHEMUS who eats some of the men ALL UP, but then they ESCAPE. Still lost, they run into the island of the sorceress CIRCE who turns some of Odysseus’ men into ANIMALS, and it takes YEARS before they escape, and then they sail by some singing SIRENS, but they can’t hear because they have STUFF in their ears. Then they come upon an island where there is a field of HERBS, and they all get HIGH, until Odysseus says it’s time to GO. Then Odysseus’ men let a WIND out of a BAG, and some more men DIE. And they sail on to HADES to talk to some DEAD people, and some more men DIE. And they steer the ship between the six headed monster SCYLLA and the torrential whirlpool CHARYBDIS, and Scylla makes some more men DIE, and Charybdis makes the rest of them DIE. Then the ship busts up into a JILLION pieces, but Odysseus is SAVED by the nymph Calypso who confines him to her ISLAND because she thinks he’s HOT, and she wants his BODY. Then years later she lets him GO, but Poseidon is determined to terrorize him FURTHER. And then SUDDENLY Odysseus has an IDEA. Oh, wait. That’s _The Odyssey_ by Homer. Better change a few names and places if you want to use this plot … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-i-have-an-idea-for-a-short-story-please/185764.md?page=2)