An agent once told a writer friend of mine not to start writing a script until he had generated a dozen ideas for the story. The agent didn’t want to see a complete script until he had a chance to review the basics from my friend. “Some ideas are movie material,” he said. “Some are too small, too old-fashioned, too weird, or just plain boring. Only when you can come up with a dozen story ideas in an hour can you compete with Hollywood screenwriters.”

That agent’s message hit our group of writers like a bucket of cold fish guts. Most of us had a “great” idea that we were trying to turn into a complete story, while protecting it from the idea thieves we thought were lurking. The idea of ​​coming up with a dozen story ideas, only to discard most of them, seemed not only a lot of work but also a waste.

However, what I learned from that agent is that ideas are like grapes. With proper nutrition, they will grow, often in bunches, and pruning one batch simply makes room for the next.

Can you express your idea in 25 words or less?

The concept of a story presents in one line who the hero is, what the hero wants, and the conflict to achieve it. This concept is also known as the registration line. Here’s one you may recognize:

An archaeologist wants to find the Ark of the Covenant, but must get ahead of the Nazis.

That, of course, is a possible log line for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark from screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and director George Lucas. You can find other examples each week in the movie section of your newspaper (although they will not always be complete). See if you can identify the following concepts from popular novels and movies:

1. A sports agent loses everyone but one client and wants to take him to the top, but his client is rude and unpleasant.
2. A simple but popular college professor wants to win the heart of a colleague, but lacks self-esteem.
3. A woman wants to save her son from a murderous robot from the future, but the robot is unstoppable.
4. A prosecutor wants to prove that he did not murder his lover, but all clues point directly to him.
5. A storm chaser wants to record a tornado, but it is dangerous and has never been done before.

Did you guess them all? 1. Jerry mcguire (Cameron Crowe) 2. The mirror has two faces (Richard LaGravenese) 3. Terminator II: the final judgment (James Cameron) 4. Presumed innocent (Scott Turow) 5. Twister (Michael Crighton, Anne-Marie Martin)

Time out: a dozen story concepts in an hour

Begin by brainstorming responses to the following:

• What occupations have you had? What is your place in the family? In what cities and countries have you lived or visited?
• What skills / talents do you have? In what areas are you totally inept?
• That you love? What do you hate What do you fear What do you want?

Name some characters and project their goals

Pick any of the “people” described in your brainstorming notes and give that person a burning wish, preferably a wish that is contrary to the character’s personality, position in life, or abilities. Here are several from my own brainstorming session:

• A chaste but impatient young woman wants to experience sex.
• A young writing teacher wants to win the heart of an older student.
• A city dweller longs to live in the country.
• A failure in the mechanics wants to drive an MG known for breakdowns.
• A squeamish horror movie fan wants to hold a shoot.

Then comes the conflict

Without conflict, you have no history.

• A chaste but impatient young woman wants to experience sex, however, her boyfriend wants to remain celibate until marriage.
• A young writing instructor wants to win the heart of an older student, but the student is concerned about what his family would think.
• A city dweller longs to live in the country, but his neighbors in the country are insane and possibly dangerous.

Your turn

Reducing your story to a one-sentence concept can crystallize it for you (and the reader) and guide you to stay on the right track. Try it. Say in a sentence:

1. Who is your hero / what does he do:
2. What your hero wants:
3. And the conflict to get it:

Make it a daily game

Whether you start with the plot or the character, this structural beginning can take your creativity to high performance. You’ll get story ideas spinning towards you from all directions.

After brainstorming what you already know, consider unfamiliar people, places, and situations that pique your interest. In a single hour, you can produce a dozen story concepts, maybe a great idea that grows into a great story. And you will never have to look at a blank page.