A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 11

This is the 10th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Last week, I provided a daily explanation about why you should make it a habit to be generating story ideas. This week, I’ll give you some tips on how to come up with stories.

Tip: Halliwell’s Film Guide.

This is based on the anecdote I heard about Woody Guthrie. Having written 4,000 songs in his life, he was asked how he came up with so many melodies. His answer: “Well, I take a melody I like, and I change it a lil’ here, and change it a lil’ there, and I make it my own.”

Same thing with Halliwell’s. You can read a post I wrote about it all the way back in November 2008, how you can read through the 24,000 movie listings — each with a logline — then gender and genre-bend your life to creative bliss.

Today’s story: Get Paid To Live On A Greek Island And Look After 55 Cats.

God’s Little People Cat Rescue is offering someone a job to look after the cats in its sanctuary. Feed them, clean up after them, give them their medication. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

And the best bit — it’s in Greece. Where do we sign? The cats could scratch as many sofas as they wanted for us to be overlooking the Aegean.

And you don’t have to pay rent. Well it just gets better. Are there any in London?

The sanctuary is on the Greek island of Syros and currently cares for 55 stray and feral cats.

Joan Bowell, who is originally from Denmark, has been looking after the sanctuary for eight years when she and her husband moved to the island for health reasons but she is now moving on. Why would you move on from heaven?

The position includes a ‘free’ semidetached home with all expenses paid and £320 ($408) a month for part-time hours.

I don’t know where this story can go, but as soon as I read it, I was reminded of one of my favorite movies: Zorba the Greek.

Who among us hasn’t fantasized about living on an exotic island? Set apart from hectic lifestyles. Embracing the spirit of living in the moment.

Now toss in… cats!

A Greek island. Cats. Local villagers. And an outsider. Running from their past? Failed marriage? Wanted by the law? Suicidal?

There’s GOT to be a story worth exploring with these elements, yes?

There you go: My eleventh story idea for the month. And it’s yours. Free! Here are links for all the previous posts in this year’s series:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10

Each day in April, I invite you to join me in comments to do some brainstorming. Take each day’s story idea and see what it can become when we play around with it. These are valuable skills for a writer to develop.

See you in RESPONSES to hear YOUR take on this story idea. And come back tomorrow for another Story Idea Each Day For A Month.