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Story Ideas – Top 10 Sources of Story Inspiration
By Deb Gallardo
My All-Time Favorite Sources of Story Ideas
- The newspaper
- Television viewing guides
- The calendar
- Online forums
- The five senses
- People watching
- Magazine profiles
- Local news
- Photographs
- Titles
The Newspaper
Let me count the ways. I’ve written an entire ebook on this subject. For a free excerpt, go to:
Story Ideas – Inside Your Newspaper Excerpt (opens in new window so you don’t lose your place here)
Television Viewing Guides
Look for the one-to-three-sentence descriptions of TV episodes and movies. Then plug in different people, change the genres, the settings, the time periods, etc. to create a unique story. For a free pdf article on this topic (plus two others), go to: Story Ideas From TV Listings.
The Calendar
Don’t think of your calendar as just a bunch of dates. Think of the people associated with those dates. My article series The Calendar of Our Lives is a wealth of inspiration. Do a site search for “Calendar” in the search box in the top right of the page.
Online Forums
Whatever your interests and passions, chances are you hang out online with a group of like-minded people. Start paying attention in a new way to what folks are writing about. Observe areas of controversy. What are some common problems in the group? Uncommon problems? Who are the troublesome members? Who are the bullies, the peacemakers? Your forum just might present you with a lot more inspiration than you ever imagined. If people are involved, it’s the stuff of stories.
The Five Senses
We all know we’ve got them, but we also tend to ignore the signals they send out as possible story inspiration. Search this site for articles on the five senses and to download a copy of an overview of using the five senses as a source of story ideas, go to: Story Ideas From the Five Senses.
People Watching
Go to the mall or a busy park where you can sit and observe people and listen in on snatches of conversation. Make detailed notes via your favorite method. Take unobtrusive photos, NOT to publish, but to jog your memory and give you more character sketch ideas. This one is a surefire winner.
Magazines
I love reading profiles of real people who made a difference in their own lives, rags-to-riches, bootstrap business success, etc. Another favorite is the ongoing article series at Ladies’ Home Journal, “Can This Marriage Be Saved?” Any articles about people should provide you with a trait, a personality quirk, a hobby, a mindset – something that you either admire, find humorous, hate, that you can use in a story.
Local News
Listen to the teasers newscasts use to keep you from flipping channels. These often are all you need to get started brainstorming a story
Photographs
Look at your childhood photos, especially those where other people are present. Don’t neglect those where you’re less than happy. These can provide you with great emotional moments for a story.
Titles
Song titles, book titles, play titles, movie titles, article titles, newspaper titles – they all can provide you with a spark of inspiration, IF you’re paying attention. If you’ve ever thought “What a great title!” then analyze WHY you think it’s great. What does it evoke in you? You’ve just found a spark of an idea. Brainstorm from there.
Related Posts
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- Story Ideas – Where Do They Hide?
- Story Ideas from the Calendar
- Story Ideas – The Lost Ring and the 2008 Olympics – Part One
- Story Ideas from Thanksgiving & All That Surrounds It
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