Short+Story+Brainstorm

Short Story Brainstorm
1) Warm-up- Write non-stop for at least 5 minutes without worrying about what comes to mind. Right now the only thing I have on my mind is my pap. My pap has not been doing too well the past year or so and yesterday morning the doctor came to his house and his doctor didn’t even give him the rest of the day to live so they called the whole family to the house to say goodbye to him, but he ended up surviving. He is still alive but he is not doing well what so ever and I kind of feel like its better if he just goes. I hate to say it but its true because I hate seeing him suffer. Also on my mind is my brother. Him and his girlfriend broke up the other night and I know my brother is taking it very hard. I feel really bad for him because this was his first real relationship and considering today is Valentine’s Day, it can’t be easy on him. I’m glad he could come to me to talk about it though because my brother and I are really close. He is like my best friend. But now he has been very depressed and I don’t know what to do because I want to help him but there is really nothing I can do. But now I’m stuck and don’t know what else to talk about because everything that was on my mind is now off my mind.

2) Choose the theme, word, idea, character, or question that most intrigues you from what you wrote. I thought it was interesting about how I could write that much about what’s going on in my life right now within the matter of 5 minutes.

3) Turn the intriguing idea into a sentence in the form “(Character) wants (Goal) because (Motivation), but (Conflict).” Example: "A sneaky mouse wants to learn magic because it will let him become king of the mice, but the magic books are hidden away." Carrie wants to help her brother because she hates seeing him depressed, but his girlfriend and him just broke up so he wont cheer up.

4) Ask “What if…?” questions to improve your one-sentence story idea. Your mission is to create a main character you love, a very important goal with an admirable motivation, and a conflict that will force significant character growth. What if, Carrie could find a way to help her brother? What if, Carrie could cheer her brother up? What if, Carrie could get Tyler and Sarah back together?

5) Continue on to questions like “Who?”, “What?”, “Where?”, “When?”, “Why?”, and “How?” These should lead you to develop a setting, additional characters, and outcomes. Carrie would help get Tyler cheer up from his break up with Sarah. This would happen as soon as possible. I would do this because Tyler is really depressed and that’s Carrie’s brother so she doesn’t like seeing him hurt. I would do this by, doing activities with him and talk to him telling that he will find someone else and talking him out of it.