Today I started week four (!) of my new job, and it was the first crappy day I had. Nothing went wrong - I just spent all day wallowing in story-idea hell and got really, really sleepy in the afternoon. I hate that kind of down day. At least if *bad* things had happened, I'd have stories to tell about it. Instead, this was my day: sit at my desk, read something online that might be story-worthy or might not, waffle, give up, repeat.
Then at the end of the day I read through all the story ideas that everyone had submitted to the database in the last two weeks and many of them were totally lame and not-well-thought-out, which made me feel a little better because I could probably lower the bar a bit for my own ideas. But I'd hate for a story based on one of my ideas to get far along in the process, then not pan out because it hadn't had the research at the front end.
Sigh. I'll figure out this story idea thing one day, right? Right?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
Put on one of those many-pocketed khaki vests - I have to imagine that would help. Whenever I need to hammer out some real science, I always put on a lab coat.
Ooh - interesting. Maybe I can get the admin to order one for me.
You could do a feature-length piece on my life story if you want. I'll totally waive my normal fee.
Unfortunately, the stories I do are all 100-200 words...actually, maybe that's just about right. Hey, don't you have any ideas to give me about, like, moths?
how about a story on the weird bugs that have infested the wood chips at our local park?
Sure, what the heck. I got nothin.
Kids growing sunflowers to learn about how plants grow and then they turn into fields and fields of sunflowers and they make bio-diesel and save the world and like stuff like that.
Heh. Basso, I think you're aiming a little too big-picture. These are 200-word stories about, like, one single thing that is interesting.
Sea Monkeys.
There are never enough stories about sea monkeys.
Why, just tonight on Bones, they used Sea Monkeys (nee, "sea chimps" to preserve trademarks and whatnot) to totally solve the case.
Sea Monkeys. Think about it.
i get my greatest ideas while in the bathroom. usually in the shower, where it's absolutely impossible to record what i think up.
does this work for you, too?
How about a story about how cultures without 'western' psychiatric medical approaches deal with mental illness...how cultures without wide acceptance of the biopsychosocial understanding of disease define a place in society for folks with serious mental illness.
Okay, maybe not in 200-300 words.
I read a great book once about a psychiatrist who went to Africa and had to learn to approach healing from a spiritual perspective (or at least distracting folks with the spiritual while sprinkling meds into their orange juice).
Yeah, like The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, except in 200 words.
Japanese denim is two words - now add 198 more about how it's awesome. Done deal.
I've had a lot to drink at the Union terrace over the last couple hours. Ahhh, Madison in the summertimre.
Post a Comment