Billions of Free Story Ideas - At Your Fingertips!

I had a major realization on Valentine's Day.  And no, it had nothing to do with loneliness or feeling needlessly pressured to commit.

While I was arranging my candy conversation hearts into suggestive phrases, (yes, I can be quite immature,) I was struck by a clever idea for the writing process.

As you know, there are billions and billions of possible combinations to the Rubik's Cube.  Actually, there are over 43 Quintillion.  (But, let's just say, infinite to us mortals.)

Well, if a small bag of stale Sweetheart candies can produce at least one gem of an innuendo, just think of the possibilities with 43 Quintillion hearts!

What does this have to do with writing?

• Do you ever get writer's block?
• Not too thrilled with your current plot ideas?
• Do you have a scene in Act II that just doesn't cut it?

What if you had a convenient and portable way to spice up your writing?

Introducing The Rubik's Cube Writing Prompt Generator.  With this device, I guarantee you will never come up with the same scene or story idea twice.

So, here's the deal.

You can use a Rubik's Cube to generate six master plots or dramatic conflicts with every scramble.

 

A Rubik's Cube has six sides, each with nine different stickers on it.  A major story element can be written inside of each sticker: conflict, setting, character flaw, etc.  Mix up the cube, and you just may end up sticking that vampire in a zombie apocalypse.

One thing you should know.

The center positions are never going to move relative to each other.  Therefore, this should be a central conflict or one of the universal plots you enjoy working with.  The other stickers are completely up to you.  A single word.  A small phrase.  Random.  Related.  It doesn't really matter.

New prompt every time.

The great thing about The Rubik's Cube Writing Prompt Generator is, every time you scramble the cube, you have six different story ideas to choose from.  Even if you end up with something you don't like, you can always scramble it some more for a totally new set of ideas.

The Rubik's Cube Writing Prompt Generator can help you generate new and fresh ideas when you are stuck.  It's very flexible, infinite, and, unlike Sweethearts, you won't have the dreaded Sugar Crash.

What do you think?

13 Reasons Why Songwriting Is Great Writing

I love music.  My entire life seems to play out to music.

Sure, there are plenty of stories that I wish I had written.  But it's usually a great song that stirs me up emotionally every time I hear it.

Today's post is dedicated to great songwriting, because hey, songwriting is writing.

13 Reasons Why Songwriting Is Great Writing

1. OHIO by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
"Four dead in Ohio."

2. PAINT IT BLACK by The Rolling Stones
"No colors anymore, I want them to turn black."

3. HURRICANE by Bob Dylan
"And though they could not produce the gun, The DA said he was the one, who did the deed, And the all-white jury agreed."

4. THE BEAUTY OF GRAY by Live
"If I said you ought to give him some of your water, you'd shake your canteen and walk away."

5. SUSPICIOUS MINDS by Elvis Presley
"You don't believe a word I say."

6. IT'S A MAN'S, MAN'S WORLD by James Brown
"This is a man's world but it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman"

7. LOSE YOURSELF by Eminem
"He choked but he won't give up that easy."

8. BIG TEN INCH RECORD by Aerosmith
"She just loves my big ten inch...record of her favorite blues."

9. ROOSTER by Alice In Chains
"Ain't found a way to kill me yet."

10. WHERE IS MY MIND by The Pixies
"Your head will collapse, but there's nothing in it and you'll ask yourself, Where is my mind?"

11. THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER by Iron Maiden
"Determination makes you run, never stop, got to win, got to run 'til you drop."

12. ONE by Metallica
"Fed through the tube that sticks in me [...] trapped in myself, body my holding cell."

13. THE UNDERTAKER (Renholder Mix) by Puscifer
"Thank you for [...] making it easy to murder your sweet memory."

What are your favorite song lyrics?

Thank you Jorik De Beer on Flickr for the incredible picture!

Are Your Writing Tools Versatile?

I try to avoid acquiring single-function items because they are usually good for one thing:  taking up space.  Ask anyone with a bread maker or an indoor grill.

Actually, some items can function exceptionally well at a single task and enrich our lives.

Take the Rubik's Cube.  I spent countless hours feeling challenged, frustrated, and ultimately fulfilled.

Yet, it's still a 'single-function' puzzle.  I needed variety.  So I ended up buying scores of different 'single-function' puzzles.  Each with a different twist (obvious pun).  It wasn't until I discovered the Rubik's Revenge (4x4) that I became enamored with its versatility.

The Swiss Army Knife of Puzzles

I expected the Rubik's Revenge to be more complex than the Rubik's Cube.  It may not be apparent at first, but it has four mobile center pieces on each of its side.  They are not fixed to a center axis like the Rubik's Cube.

What I did not expect was the Rubik's Revenge is actually three puzzles in one.

In addition to its four slices on each side, the Rubik's Revenge can be operated as two other puzzles shown above.  So, with this single puzzle I can emulate three totally different puzzles.

Okay, I did not discover the Grand Unified Theory of physics, but it was still a pleasant surprise.

Another Versatile Tool

I recently discovered another versatile tool:  the Kindle.

I wanted an eReader specifically for one thing, and one thing only:  to read.  Strictly a single-function item, right?  I did not want a tablet computer.  I did not want games.  I did not want the Internet.  I wanted the eInk variety.  The small Kindle, WiFi only.

But I discovered the Kindle is much more than a simple eReader for short story collections and novels.

If you are the type of person who likes to read in a jazzy coffee shop but instead find yourself reading on a bustling commuter train, you can use the built-in MP3 player to listen to your favorite music.
You can also create an eInk photo album on your Kindle.  Create a folder called "pictures" on your Kindle while it's connected to your computer.  Inside that folder create a sub-directory named "Album 1" with picture files copied into it.  Once you disconnect your Kindle and navigate to the Home screen, press Alt+Z.  Your new album of photos should now be listed in your library.

The Kindle can also be an extra USB memory drive in a pinch if a friend or colleague is trying to get you electronic data.

Not Just For Reading eBooks

The Kindle is great for reading documents, too.  I stare at a computer screen all day for work, so I avoid reading on a back-lit screen as much as I can.

It's great for the editing process.  I will transfer my WIPs and my critique partners' pieces to the Kindle for the initial read-through.  Of course I wouldn't do a complete red-line on the Kindle, but I do capture some important notes so I won't forget them later.

For my day job, I will also use my Kindle to read sales proposals and technical requirements documents.  It not only saves printer ink, but also saves my eyes.

Finally, if you are one to store your favorite recipes in a document on your computer, consider storing and viewing them on your Kindle.  They'll be quickly at hand and you can bookmark your favorite recipes.

Although I originally thought of the Kindle as a single-function item, it is more versatile than that.


What reading or writing tool is more versatile than you thought at first?

13 Words That Sound Naughty But Really Aren't

13 Words That Sound Naughty But Really Aren't

1. PENAL  
(subject to punishment of crimes)
Is it a penal offense for men to stroll naked on the beach?

2. CONDIMENT  
(substance used to enrich the flavor of foods) 
It was too late to tell her I forgot to use any type of condiment.

3. CIRCUMSCRIBE 
(restrict) 
My escape from the hospital was thwarted when the doctors circumscribed me.

4. MASTICATE  
(chew) 
I furiously masticated the babysitter's sweet candy before my wife returned home with the groceries.

5. FARTLEK  
(training technique for runners) 
The young men were supposed to stay packed together, but the fartlek was particularly intense.

6. MANHOLE  
(covered opening) 
In his new position, Rodney provided his crew with safe entrance to his manhole.
[He's a city public works employee with responsibilities.]

7. SPOTTED DICK 
(British pudding (dessert)) 
Buck proudly presented his spotted dick to Kitty and she gobbled it down with a smile.

8. GESTICULATE 
(to use gestures for emphasize words or instead of speaking) 
The subway passengers sat uncomfortably while the homeless man's dirty coat swung open from his wild gesticulations.

9. SEXAGENARIAN 
(person in their 60s) 
Now that she was a sexagenarian, she decided to forgo birth control altogether.

10. DICTATION  
(speaking words to be transcribed or recorded) 
Feeling powerful, he leaned back and allowed his secretary to take his dictation.

11. PIANIST  
(person who plays the piano) 
[I had to steal at least one from The Simpsons – the rest are my invention.]

"This guy walks into a  bar, he takes out a tiny piano and a twelve inch pianist, oh, no, wait, I can't tell that one!"  -Krusty the Clown 

12. ANGINA 
(intense chest pain)
I know the doctors say your angina looks really bad right now, but do we really have to stop loving each other?

13. TITTER (giggle)
Rebecca couldn't suppress her nervous titters after she spilled frigid iced tea on her white shirt.


Do you have any favorite words that sound funny, are fun to pronounce, or sound dirty like these?

The Trick to Writing – Revealed

Performance Artist, Johan Lorbeer

"How do you solve the Rubik's Cube?"

I hear that a lot.  But most people really don't want to hear the answer.  They'll make some quip about solving it when they were younger by tearing off the stickers or simply giving up out of frustration.

They'd rather believe the illusion that it's nearly impossible to solve.  After all, there are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible configurations.  Lottery odds don't deal with numbers so large!

Let me level with you.

There is no big secret.  But, once I describe one of the countless methods to solve the Rubik's Cube, the mystique wears off and I often hear a contemptuous, "Oh, it's just a trick?"

No, it's not just a trick.  But in hindsight, any elegant answer to a complex problem seems like a trick.

With the Rubik's Cube, if you understand a few basic concepts and rules it can be rather straightforward and intuitive to solve.  However, depending on your approach, it can also appear quite complex.  Some such methods designed for speed-solving require the memorization of several hundred algorithms, or seemingly magic moves, that will have a particular effect on a portion of the Rubik's Cube.  For any non-speedcuber, such a technique can appear to be nothing more than a gimmick.

The reality is, no matter the approach, the Rubik's Cube does not solve itself with some hushed secret trick we cubers don't want you to know about.

What about writing?  Tell me the secret trick to writing.

Johan Lorbeer

The only trick is to get your butt into the chair.  Write.  Just write.  That's it.  Write!

You must do the work.  There is no magic formula to help you write your story.  There are no algorithms to memorize.  There is no other real trick.

All the talk about you being a plotter or a pantser, (writing by 'the seat of your pants',) doesn't really matter if you don't actually do the writing.  So, that's it.  The real trick to writing – write.

Perhaps you've heard this before:  the best person to write your story is you.  In fact, the only person to write your story is you.  What are you waiting for?  Forget about trying to find the latest secrets and shortcuts, get your butt in the chair already!

Revealed

What gets your butt into the chair to write?

13 Different Ways to Laugh

Writing is serious business, that is why I really appreciate what comedy writers do.  

I love to laugh, but unfortunately, it doesn't happen enough.  Okay, I laugh at myself, but that's usually more of a gentle chuckle.  Anyway, for me to get a hearty laugh, great comedy also makes me think.

Today, I wanted to share a list of quotes that I think are really funny.  I'm sure at least one of these will make you laugh – and hopefully make you think, too.

13 Great Quotes From Comedy

1.  I took a speed reading course and read "War and Peace" in twenty minutes.  It involves Russia.
  -Woody Allen

2. A lot of people like lollipops. I don't like lollipops. To me, a lollipop is hard candy plus garbage. I don't need a handle. Just give me the candy.
  -Demetri Martin

3. Schrödinger's furniture both did and did not have fur all over it.
  -God via Twitter (@TheTweetOfGod)

4. Madam, there's no such thing as a tough child – if you parboil them first for seven hours, they always come out tender.
  -W.C. Fields

5. A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks.  You really think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a f***ing cross?  Kinda like going up to Jackie Onassis with a little sniper rifle pendant.
  -Bill Hicks

6. There's no such thing as soy milk.  It's soy juice.
  -Lewis Black

7. The very existence of flamethrowers proves that sometime, somewhere, someone said to themselves, “You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done.
  -George Carlin

8. Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?
  -Steven Wright

9. You won’t be able to take your eyes off the next four presenters: Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz.
  -Chris Rock, Host of the Oscars

10. I like video games, but they are very violent. I want to create a video game in which you have to help all the characters who have died in the other games. 
   "Hey, man, what are you playing?" 
   "Super Busy Hospital. Could you leave me alone? I'm performing surgery! This guy got shot in the head, like, 27 times!"
  -Demetri Martin

11. "No Comment" is a comment.
  -George Carlin

12. I replaced the headlights in my car with strobe lights so it looks like I'm the only one moving.
   -Stephen Wright

13. A study in the Washington Post says that women have better verbal skills than men. I just want to say to the authors of that study:  Duh.
   -Conan O'Brien


Any favorites of your own?  Please leave a comment.


Thank you cheriejoyful on Flickr for the adorable boy.  He makes me smile just looking at the photo.

Short Stories? Like, Gag Me With A Spoon!

Yes, that was Nicolas Cage in 1983.

Happy New Year!

I tend to be oblivious to popular trends.  So I missed out during the early 80s and wasn't one of the manic geeks obsessed with the Rubik's Cube.

No, it took another twenty-five years for that to happen.

A new website called, YouTube (pronounced, yoo-tyoob,) allowed you to upload, view, and share videos.  It opened my eyes to a new and bustling world of the Rubik's Cube. A resurgence had been long underway.

Back in 2003, the World Cube Association held the World Rubik's Games Championship and the Rubik's Cube's popularity skyrocketed again.

Okay, skyrocketed may be overstating it a little, but when one of the geeks from the quasi-reality show, Beauty and the Geek, solved the Rubik's Cube behind his back, it was clear the cube was back in the mainstream.

Now if you talk about the short story, most people will say they have gone the way of the towering shoulder pads and over sized jackets of the 80s.  Some say the short story is dead.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

Is a frenzied resurgence of the short story just around the corner?  There is certainly potential with these major elements:

• short attention spans
• fewer newspaper and magazine sales
• seekers of high quality, low cost reads
• Amazon.com

Sadly, I don't think we're going to see a resurgence soon.  Here's why.  Everyone is competing for our time.  As readers, we still look for quality reading, but in the quickest and easiest manner.  We could track down dozens of anemic literary magazines, or we could simply go to Amazon.com.

But the Amazon machine is broken.

As long as Amazon is a stomping ground for the 99 cent eBook, short stories cannot have the massive success they once had and still deserve today.

Take a cue from iTunes.

The music industry adapted and began selling 99 cent songs so consumers could impulsively fill up their MP3 players.  But there is a clear delineation between a radio single and an entire album.  You don't see albums selling for 99 cents.  And you don't see 1 penny songs for that matter.

Should a short story have the same value as a novel?

There should be a clear delineation between the price of a short story and an eBook novel.  If readers buy a short story for 99 cents and like it, they will, and should, pay more for your novel.

The short story is not dead, but readers like me are waiting for the next revolution.  I would love to see talented short story writers be able to earn a living like Charles Dickens.  I think the potential is there for it to happen, but not without some changes.

What do you think?  Is 2012 the year of the short story?