Easy Story Ideas in 5 Minutes or Less

In the past I have written about many different ways to light a fire under your writing, like here and here, but it’s hard to ignite something that isn’t there. What the heck am I talking about? I’m talking about when you want to write a short story, novel or even a poem and you just sit there, staring at your computer screen. You’re motivated to write, but the ideas just aren’t there.

I’m going to share with you an easy way to come up with endless story ideas, guaranteed! And it doesn’t take a lot of hard work; just an open mind and a pen and some paper to jot down those ideas so you don’t forget them. I have used this method many, many different times to write a lot of short fiction.

Here’s my secret:

Quick and Easy Story Ideas!

Wherever you happen to be, just ask yourself this question: What if…[fill in the blank with any random thought you may have].

I’m going to use a very cliched example to show you just how easy this is:  What if hell freezes over? Aside from being totally silly, it is possible to turn this into a short story or even a novel. First, just the idea that hell has frozen over means hell really does exist. That has some pretty big implications right there. Second, you can ask yourself why hell froze over. Did the devil die? If so, how?

As you can see, a silly question starts to open up even more questions, and some ones with serious consequences for mankind, to say the least. On a more practical level, you can use the "What if" formula with any scenario your mind can dig up. What if 4 friends go camping and only 1 returns alive? What if a man quits his job and abandons his family? What if you’re at a funeral and discover that the casket is empty? The possibilities are endless!

Another trick: Don’t think too much

Even using the "What if" strategy for find some quick inspiration you can still throw roadblocks in front of yourself by over thinking. Don’t worry about the silliness of the "What if" questions you come up with, like the example I gave with hell freezing over. A lot of good fiction starts with silly ideas. And don’t try to self-edit these questions by thinking of ways you can plot a story out. Worry about that later. The key is to just get as many ideas down on paper as you can.

Not every idea will be gold

Writing is very much a psychological game we play with ourselves, and it’s very easy to let petty fears get the best of us. With an approach like this, you’re bound to get a lot of crummy ideas. On the flip side, however, you will also get a lot of gems too. But don’t throw out those crummy ideas just yet. Keep them in a safe spot – what seems stupid to you now might end up inspiring you later.

Don’t forget ideas come from all over

While this method of getting a lot of story ideas in a short amount of time works great, there are still other places to get ideas as well. I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this because I’ve written about it in this post. But I will say that you should always be on the lookout for good ideas, because they can come from anywhere. And just make sure you are able to write them down as soon as you get them, otherwise you will forget (I speak from experience on this).

Now that I’m done rambling on about finding story ideas, I’m interested to hear what you have to say. Where do you get your ideas from? What helps inspire you? Don’t be shy and leave a comment below. The world will be a better place for it!

Related posts

• Write down those ideas ASAP, or else!
• Help! My story has no ending!
• Story endings: Don’t cheat your readers
• What’s your writing medium?
• History of the Short Story

Read More: Writing Tips