Sometimes the coffee runs out, taking with it all of your ideas.

I’ve been working on some short stories recently, and one of the problems I run into is that I’m just pre-programmed to write novella or novel-length works. Short stories are hard. Especially plotting them. Blegh.

Then I found this.

I was in Barnes & Noble seeking refuge from the horde of screaming children in the Party City down the street (I guess I won’t be rocking a pirate costume this year…on the other hand, we can sleep well at night knowing that there is such a thing as a zombie ninja). Once there, I wandered through the sales area, the sci-fi shelves, and then the writing zone…and found The Amazing Story Generator by Jason Sacher.

I like anything with Amazing in the title, so I flipped through it. The book has three panels: story elements, characters, and plots. You can supposedly get thousands of different story ideas.

It is, in fact, amazing. So amazing that a sales associate heard me giggling and joined me for a couple minutes of entertainment.

Behold:

Ignoring the advice of friends, the First Lady slowly transforms into a centaur.

While on a second honeymoon, an identical twin burns down a house.

After winning a bet, a freelance assassin creates a family of robots.

…I might try to write that last one, actually. 

Naturally I bought the book.

I think it’ll be both a great writing tool (because I stall out all too often when I try to write a short story) and also something to whip out at parties.

Things have been busy around here. I’m trying to knock out some projects so I have time to devote to NaNo, and I also somehow got asked to contribute to a magazine, so…I guess we’ll see.