A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 2

This is the 10th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I’ll work my through during this series of posts.

Here’s another one: The only way to find a great story idea is to work your way through a bunch of crap ideas.

Ira Glass (“This American Life”), arguably one of the most knowledgeable people around today re storytelling, said this:

“You have to record and get rid of a lot of crap before you find something special.”

Same thing with screenwriting: You have to generate a bunch of crappy ideas before you find something special. Still don’t believe me? How about the wisdom of Linus Pauling:

“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.”

And Linus Pauling should know, one of the few people to win multiple Nobel Prizes.

So why focus on generating a bunch of story ideas? Because most of the ones you come up with will be crap. However somewhere along the line, you’ll find some that a pure gold.

Today’s story idea: A 27-Year-Old Is Suing His Parents Because He Didn’t Consent to Be Born.

Six months ago, Raphael Samuel informed his mother over breakfast that he planned to sue her and his father for bringing him into existence without his consent.

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Samuel argues that because parents give birth to their children for their own pleasure, children owe their parents nothing — and that parents should provide for their children for their entire lives.

He believes in the concept of anti-natalism, which holds that life is so unhappy that people should stop procreating.

I wasn’t the first person who saw this story and thought… “Movie.” You can check out the Shoot This Now podcast to get their take.

You have to admit that ‘adult child sues parents for procreating him’ is a hook. Clearly feels like a comedy. But what type of comedy? Is it Seth Rogen or Wes Anderson? Alexander Payne or Sacha Baron Cohen?

A romantic entanglement would be interesting. What if the lawyer who takes on Raphael’s case is a super depressed woman with strong suicidal thoughts and the anger he feels about the pain of living aligns with her experience? By committing herself to this case, she finds some meaning in her existence. If they develop feelings for each other, this would cause him to call into question the very essence of anti-natalism… because now he’s enjoying life.

How big do you go with the story? Does it become a media sensation? Does it cause other children to sue their parents?

As I sit here thinking about the story concept, I find myself thinking dark comedy: Adult Child vs. Parents a la The War of the Roses where a dysfunctional family gets even more fractured as the lawsuit continues it way through the courts… with a dire ending.

What would you do with this story concept?

There you go: My second story idea for the month. And it’s yours. Free!

Day 1

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.