{Discover.Play.Build.} Generating Story Ideas

This week I talked with some third grade writers about the way writers generate story ideas. The point of a writer's notebook is to use it as a tool to produce writing that goes out into the world. So writers must generate writing ideas. I shared with them three ways I generate story ideas.

1. I think about places and the stories that have happened there (or could happen there if I'm writing fiction).
2. I think about people. My brother Jeff is a goldmine of story possibilities. What people in your life give you an unlimited number of stories?
3. I think about special days or holidays. I have a ton of Halloween stories and Christmas stories and Talk Like a Pirate day stories. How about you? What special days generate a slew of story ideas?

{Discover.Play.Build.} 

Make a list in your writer's notebook about possible story ideas. Below are some of the lists from my notebook.

Are you up for even more of a challenge? Then try writing a list of at least 25 story ideas. I do this each time I start a new writer's notebook for my fiction work.

A Peek Inside My Notebook...

Generating stories based on a person (my brother Jeff) and
a holiday (Halloween).