Sometimes, when I need some quick new ideas (my overstuffed file of ideas aside) I ask for a challenge. I ask people to give me two things, and they can be random. A pet bunny and a fear of heights. A bridge and a broken leg. They don’t even have to have anything to do with each other.

This is a challenge and a creative inspiration exercise – can I write short stories from these ideas?

Last time I asked for such a thing – I used all but one of the ideas and wrote five short stories in a month.

One of my writer friends said I can’t do that, I shouldn’t do that. She said that was false writing or forced writing.

Okay, but…  Sometimes we need to force things out in order to get back into good habits, and, gosh, don’t tell me can’t. It just makes that two year old inside me want to do it even more.

I do understand what she’s saying – writing should be organic and natural to us. BUT – as I say, sometimes you gotta push it a little.

By the way – all those short stories were accepted and/or published within a few months.

So – anyway – I’m asking now. I need a little forcing. Give me two things. Random or not. Can be anything. Mayonnaise in a taco random or bunny on a beach cute. 

Go.

Thanks.