101. There’s an old man sitting in a rickety wooden chair, fishing through a hole in the ice on a frozen lake. A loud cracking sound reverberates across the lake’s surface, and he feels the ice shift beneath him. He scurries, but the hole expands too quickly, and he goes into the icy water. What happens next?
102. When his or her commanding officer is found dead, one young soldier goes AWOL and launches a personal investigation to find out who did it.
103. A surgeon who does not believe in miracles is diagnosed with an aggressive terminal illness and is given six months to live. Three years later, the surgeon is alive and perfectly healthy.
104. At the height of human technological development, a special child is born who can communicate telepathically with computers and other mechanical and electronic devices.
105. A teenager becomes obsessed with books, movies, and video games that depict graphic violence and murder, and the teen’s parents are not pleased about it.
106. Two ambitious coworkers want the same promotion, and they’re both willing to do just about anything to get it. Then they fall in love. Does the competition heat up or die down? Will their romance survive office politics?
107. Choose a period of history and a place that interests you, and write a multi generational saga about a family that lived during that era.
108. Write a comedy about a rural, salt of the earth family moving to a big city and trying to get along with city folk who are sophisticated and refined.
109. While shopping in a department store during the holidays, a child is separated from his or her parents and discovers a portal to a winter wonderland.
110. A teenager’s beliefs are not in line with his or her parents’ religious system. Can we control what we believe? Can we control what others believe?
111. Most of us have had a nemesis of some kind, whether it was a bully on the playground, a nasty coworker, or someone who caused us or our loved ones pain and suffering. These people make great models for villains in our stories. Fictionalize an antagonist from real life in a story.
112. When marriage becomes a living hell, the protagonist attempts to kill his or her spouse by bringing on depression and encouraging overeating and other unhealthy lifestyle choices.
113. Scientists discover that the galaxy itself is a living organism.
114. All over the world, there are secret societies of people who have magical abilities. They’ve kept themselves hidden for centuries, but now something threatens to make their existence known to the public.
115. An old man or woman confesses a lifetime of secrets— many of which involve violence, torture, and murder.
116. A protagonist is forced to choose between family (or culture) and the one he or she loves.
117. Write a story set in an orphanage anytime in history.
118. In the 1970’s, someone started putting rocks in boxes and selling them as Pet Rocks, complete with care and training manuals. The business made millions. Write a story about an inventor or business person who comes up with a ridiculous product.
119. Children love to pretend and play grown-up. Write a story about a child playing grown-up and pretending to have a particular career: teacher, veterinarian, artist, etc.
120. In the midst of a natural disaster, a classroom is locked down and everyone inside is trapped until they are rescued three days later.