281. A wife and husband have spent the last twenty years of marriage immersed in their respective careers. Other than the occasional dinner or romp in the sack, they’ve been living separate lives. When they both retire, they are forced to spend almost every waking hour together. They realize how far apart they’ve grown and try to remember what brought them together in the first place.
282. What starts out as an ordinary investigation into the murder of a street criminal (a drug dealer or prostitute) evolves into a whirlwind mystery of white-collar crime.
283. Imagine that violence on Earth is at an all-time high. By merely leaving your house, there is a 35 percent chance you will be killed. The farther you go from your house, the higher the odds that you will be murdered. A team of investigative scientists discovers that humanity’s violence is being driven by microchips that were secretly implanted in a large portion of the population at birth. Who did this? Why? And how can it be stopped?
284. Write a story about a protagonist who discovers the fountain of youth and gains the gift of immortality.
285. Some horror authors say they write to exorcise their worst fears or inner demons. Write a story that exorcises your worst fears or inner demons.
286. The protagonist is married to his or her high school sweetheart—they’ve been together since they were fourteen. But a terrible accident leaves the protagonist widowed. How hard is it to find love again when you’ve only loved (and lost) one person?
287. A passionate, dedicated history teacher inspires students to take an interest in his or her classes by telling vivid stories about the course material.
288. A group of mean kids pulled a prank on another kid in junior high—a prank that made the target the laughingstock of the school all the way through high school. Now it’s time for their ten-year reunion—and it will be filled with laughs and retribution.
289. The kids in the neighborhood are convinced there’s a monster that comes out and roams the streets at night. Some mornings, the garbage cans are turned over. Other mornings, the lawns are trampled. And then there are those weird noises they all hear when they’re trying to fall asleep…
290. A brother and sister are only one year apart in age. What happens when they are teens and dating each other’s friends?
291. While sorting through a three-month old pile of junk mail, the protagonist finds a handwritten letter—a letter that changes everything.
292. When a federal judge is murdered, a team of investigators must find out if the murder was political or personal.
293. Write a story set in the distant future when humanity is at a fork in the evolutionary road. Some humans are evolving; others are not.
294. Most dragon tales take place in far-off lands, but what if a dragon somehow ended up in the here and now? How did it get here? Is it dangerous? What is its goal?
295. What’s more horrific than a creepy, evil child? Write about a child who traumatizes everyone he or she comes into contact with.
296. Write about a protagonist with a condition that causes him or her to fall in love with inanimate objects.
297. What was it like before humankind traveled into space, before we landed on the moon? Write a story set just before or during the time we made these momentous advances.
298. A charming street magician uses tricks and illusions to con people out of their money in a gritty metropolitan comedy.
299. While digging in the garden, a child finds a magic ring that makes any wish come true.
300. Write a story about a group of teens working at their first jobs. One is earning money to help his or her family. One is saving up for a car or college. One wants extra spending money. One wants an excuse to get out of the house.