Where do you get your ideas from? Probably one of the questions I (along with other novelists) get asked the most.
So I thought from time to time as I think about it, I’ll share a random story idea. One that pops in my head that I know I won’t ever write but that’s an interesting story idea regardless (note–interesting doesn’t always mean good). I just want to show my thought process.
I just read this today on CNN.com: “Michael Jackson’s body will be returned to Neverland Ranch on Thursday for a public viewing on Friday, CNN has learned.”
So a story idea pops in my head.
A group of friends who have grown distant over the years reconnect to go view Michael Jackson’s body. Could be a comedy, could be a love story, could be a drama. They might not even make it to Neverland Ranch–who knows. They (along with millions of others) grew up listening to Jackson and still share this bond even though their lives have gone in opposite directions.
I looked on iTunes to see if Jackson has a song with the word “Never” in it. Of course–a classic: “Never Can Say Goodbye.”
There’s your title.
The theme of saying goodbye resonates in the story, along with the word “never.”
Am I a huge Michael Jackson fan? No. But doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be a moving story.
See–a story idea simply from seeing a blurb on CNN.com. That’s how my mind works.
Nice one Travis.
Sounds like an interesting twist, yet let's twist it further. A long lost couple who met at a Jackson concert and fell in love back in the 80's, suprisingly meet again at the entertainer's viewing. The twist? One has become an astronaut and the other a lost soul. Think Sleepless in Seatle meets Ghost. New title: "Walking on the Moon".
Ever see The Big Chill? Kind of reminds of its themes. Great music too.
that's fascinating! it's so cool how different minds were created & how they function. as a photographer, i see life happenings in all of the many different ways they could be captured into a still image. i see pictures everywhere [and wish, many times, that i knew how to better capture what i see in my mind]. but it's pretty cool that you, on the other hand, can see a simple news blurb and immediately create a story in your mind.
i just love the way God designed creative beings. 🙂