The short story writer is faced with one eternal question: what to write about? A good idea for a short story is worth its weight in gold. Let the Old Soldier give you a little advice.
You never have to start at ground zero.
Even if you already know this fact it is worth repeating. There are a limited number of basic short story ideas. That’s because there really is nothing new under the sun. The same basic story ideas are simply recycled by each generation. This has been going on for thousands of years. The trick is for you to put your spin on these basic ideas.
Here are just a few basic short story ideas. There are short stories about:
- Adultery
- Divorce
- Leaving home for the first time
- Death
- Birth
- Lost youth
- Fighting for self-respect
- Marriage
- Finding love
- Keeping faith with something or someone
I bet you could write 100 short stories just from these 10 basic short story ideas.
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How’s everyone doing? The Old Soldier is enjoying his most recent book purchase: This Changes Every Thing (Occupy Wall Street and the 99% Movement) edited by Sarah van Gelder and the staff of Yes! Magazine.
I bought the paperback book from The Big Idea Bookstore which is only a few blocks from my apartment. The Big Idea Bookstore is a non-profit co-operative. This means that the workers also own the store.
In other words this bookstore is owned by some of the 99%. There are a lot of bookstores in the City of Pittsburgh. The Big Idea Bookstore is in the Bloomfield neighborhood of the city. It is now also my bookstore of choice.
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Read. Study. Write.
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The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a news magazine about writing and sexuality.
Filed under: Commentaries | Tagged: adultery, Bloomfield, finding love, news magazine, Occupy Wall Street, Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette, short story ideas, The Big Idea Bookstore, writing and sexuality | 1 Comment »
10 Great Basic Short Story Ideas
You never have to start at ground zero.
Even if you already know this fact it is worth repeating. There are a limited number of basic short story ideas. That’s because there really is nothing new under the sun. The same basic story ideas are simply recycled by each generation. This has been going on for thousands of years. The trick is for you to put your spin on these basic ideas.
Here are just a few basic short story ideas. There are short stories about:
I bet you could write 100 short stories just from these 10 basic short story ideas.
*****
I bought the paperback book from The Big Idea Bookstore which is only a few blocks from my apartment. The Big Idea Bookstore is a non-profit co-operative. This means that the workers also own the store.
In other words this bookstore is owned by some of the 99%. There are a lot of bookstores in the City of Pittsburgh. The Big Idea Bookstore is in the Bloomfield neighborhood of the city. It is now also my bookstore of choice.
*****
Read. Study. Write.
*****
The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a news magazine about writing and sexuality.
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Filed under: Commentaries | Tagged: adultery, Bloomfield, finding love, news magazine, Occupy Wall Street, Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette, short story ideas, The Big Idea Bookstore, writing and sexuality | 1 Comment »