Thursday, September 6, 2012

I Know There's A Story (or two) Here

Yahoo! is chock-a-block full of inspiration this morning.  Which news tidbit (technically I think it's supposed to be "titbit" but I just can't bring myself to say that, even in print) do you think makes the best story idea?  Tell me which one inspires you in Comments.

1.  Moths and bleeding canker are destroying the stately elms of Europe (this includes the ones at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, see a photo of me there on the Tendril post).  Sick trees are toppling over on unsuspecting motorists.  I don't know about you, but the words "bleeding canker" get my creative juices flowing...

2.  Giant earthworm takes over backyard.  How's that for a picture book idea?  My backyard is currently being taken over by toadstools.  It's very 1970s retro looking at the moment.  All I need now are a couple of frogs and an owl or two.

 

3.  Exploding stars are carving out "gas cavities" in other galaxies.  Alright, I'm NOT a sci-fi writer and every time my family watches Star Wars I go hide in my office, but if I WERE a sci-fi buff this would hook me in a nanosecond, or at warp speed, or whatever.

4.  Seven year old girl surives the bubonic plague.  Fine, I will confess that at one point during my teen years I was unhealthily obsessed with reading about the bubonic plague.  The Black Death.  Who wouldn't want to learn more about something called that?  Anyway, I'm glad she survived, it's a horrible way to go.


5.  Kim Kardashian's body insecurities.  Good God, no.  But how about "Snooki and the Black Death"?  Isn't that a snappy title for a kids' book?  Sorry, I'm getting obsessed again.  Jeesh.

6.  Trees eating man-made things, like signs.  There was an even better photo on a site called satanslaundromat dot com, but I'm afraid to ask permission to use "his" photo.  But I might have to go see why Satan needs a laundromat.  Although now that I think of it, laundromats generally are rather Hellish, so maybe all laundromats belong to Satan.  Who knew?


7 comments:

  1. Such an imagination, bleeding canker and trees, who knew?

    Love the tree eating sign!

    earthworms and Satan in laundromats...I'm thinking...I'm thinking :)

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    1. Well, you let me know what you come up with. Or maybe there's a way to combine more than one - arboreal bubonic plague for instance. Has a nice ring to it.

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  2. Ooh, I liked a lot of these, but #6 was my favorite. I think I have an idea brewing now...funny how you can get inspiration from odd things like that. :)

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    1. That one has my wheels turning too. If we both end up using it somehow we'll have to swap stories again ;-)

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  3. Ruthie says #4, because she loved the book The Plague, and it's a fascinating subject. I would like to see #1, 4 & 6 combined. You can go all Edith Wharton on us & let the setting reflect the physical & psychological effects of the Plague on humanity. P.S. Didn't "Patty" read a book about Thyphoid Mary which she really enjoyed?

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  4. Hello there Anonymous ;-) Yes I thought 1 + 4 + 6 might = awesome too. Patty may very well have read and enjoyed such a book but I don't honestly remember. Say hi to Ruthie for me, I miss her on FB.

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