Writing: Short Story Ideas That Keep Giving
How to make a little go a long way.
The writing of a short story is a true journey for the writer. The writer can get the idea for the story in any number of ways. The idea may come from an observation, from a life experience or from a song. It can come from a dream.
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The structure of the short story has not changed for hundreds of years: beginning, middle and end; the form has remained a significant event given closure. The variations that can be created from this structure and form are nearly infinite. How is this possible? Let’s just explore the variations in one significant event.
I’m sure we can all agree that the end of a relationship is a significant event. My argument is that this one significant event can yield numerous ideas for the writing of several short stories, all of them different. How? Let’s list a few.
The end of a marriage. The end of a friendship. The end of employment. The end of a firmly held belief. The end of a political association. The end of a love affair. The death of a parent. In essence, these can all be seen as relationship stories.
And to add even more variations, each one of these stories could have a happy ending. Or a sad ending. Or an inspiring ending.
It all depends on your imagination and skill as a writer. Remember, we got all these writing ideas from one significant event: the end of a relationship.
That’s how for a writer a little can go a long way. You feel you don’t have enough ideas to write about. Surely you have ten basic ideas. That’s all you need. Ten will keep you busy writing for a life time.
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Tags: friendship, idea, imagination, Life, love affair, marriage, relationship, short story ideas, write, writer, Writing
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November 19th, 2009 at 6:30 am
My main passion is writing short stories, great advice. On the writing course I did they gave a tip, for times when you dry up for ideas, write down on 10 pieces of paper an object could be a candlestick, a car, a boat, a sandwhich, which ever you pull out of the hat, force yourself to conjour up a story revolving that object. Its fun honestly nice article.
November 19th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Could you plz explain the difference between a flash fiction and a short story in one of your articles?
November 19th, 2009 at 7:22 am
Thank you for the information.
Christine
November 19th, 2009 at 7:46 am
I liked your example because we would all have first hand experience of most of those situations and could draw on that to colour our writing. Good advice.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Thanks for sharing your Knowledge.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Thank you for sharing your thought!
November 19th, 2009 at 9:58 am
thank you for the share………
November 19th, 2009 at 10:02 am
There is always something out there to write about that’s for sure
November 19th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Lord Banks, yes there are all kinds of methods to help writers come up with stories. And all of them can work.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:17 am
chitragopi, I will; there are plenty articles in my profile on flash fiction.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Christine, I hope the article had some useful information in it.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Frances, a writer’s life is a goldmine of good material.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:28 am
martinpm, I try to write articles that are useful.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:33 am
CHAN LEE, this is just one way to come up with ideas. There are many others.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:39 am
shanthu, coming up with new ideas can be a real challenge for a writer.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Papa, you are so right. We just have to keep our eyes and ears open.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
yes i like writing some short stories too but they don’t get much views. HELP?
November 19th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
nice article, excellent example..nice…
November 19th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
you have explained in nice way….good
November 19th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
i never tried short stories but i’ve been thinking about it. I’ve only gone straight to full length books lol
thx for the tip!
Nice articel
November 19th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Thank you for sharing those great pieces of advice with us.
November 19th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Awesome. The end of a relationship. This is my next one. thanks:)
November 19th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
More good advice. I have a ton of ideas and many outlines. My problems is finding time to write. I know if I really love it I will find to time but that doesn’t always play out in my life.
November 19th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Nice information. Thank You very much.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Please try to tell us something we don’t already know.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Good idea. I haven’t written short stories in quite a long time. Perhaps I should reexplore this genre. Thanks for your tips.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Would you consider peoms about what happened short stories? if it was like something that is taken out from as you said the end of a marriage?
November 20th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Wonderfully put. I like, how you ask us to see things that are still there, in those ends.. stories..
November 20th, 2009 at 11:51 am
I guess for some people it’s easy to gain plot bunnies for short stories. Thank you for sharing!
November 20th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
yes short storiy ideas can roll right off the top of your head, trick is to catch them and use them before they hit the ground and roll away. Nice que
November 20th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Hi Professor!
Another lesson from you, truly appreciated! I await the next lesson!
November 20th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
I like that
November 20th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Thanks for your useful information.
http://www.replicawatchesindia.info
November 21st, 2009 at 12:44 am
May I say that “any happening” could constitute the plot for a short story?
November 21st, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Words, that’s what makes a writer at home with his craft. Hmmmnnn, I remember about writing about a politician, a bartender and a witch. You definitely had some magic with words.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:50 pm
It is amazing at where my ideas come from at times. I can be standing in a bank queue and ‘bang’, someone will do or say something. I will then be writing the idea on the paying in slip instead of cash figures.
Interesting article.