A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 2

This is the 15th 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 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 about 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.”

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: How to Make Friends as an Adult.

Making friends as an adult can be a daunting and isolating experience.

Many of us find ourselves wondering, “Is making friends as an adult really hard, or is it just me?”

A quick scan of online forums like Reddit reveals that we’re not alone in our struggles. Posts about making friends as an adult, particularly in our 20s and 30s, are flooded with comments from people sharing their own difficulties.

Whether you’re struggling to make friends as an adult due to a recent move, job change, or simply the challenges of modern life, it’s clear that many of us are facing similar obstacles. As we navigate the ups and downs of adulthood, it’s easy to feel like everyone else has found their tribe, leaving us to wonder: why is it so hard to make friends nowadays?

Here are 10 real-life stories that prove that it’s possible. From joining hobby groups to stepping outside of their comfort zones, these individuals found meaningful friendships in unexpected ways.

1. Turning a Gym Acquaintance into a Friend

2. Joining a Local Book Club

3. Using Social Media to Find Friends

4. Attending Community Events

5. Volunteering for a Cause

6. Signing Up for a Cooking Class

7. Turning a Work Colleague into a Friend

8. Joining a Recreational Sports League

9. Taking a Solo Trip and Meeting People Along the Way

10. Creating a Meetup Group

As a screenwriter, you’ve got a built-in advantage to this story concept: Pick 5 or 6 tips, and use each as the focus for individual story sequences. In other words, the story idea lends itself to creating the screenplay structure.

There are so many directions you can take this premise. Let’s run with a comedic spin.

Leon is the son of an eccentric, but emotionally distant billionaire. Having lived a sheltered existence, Leon has next to nil social skills. The father helicopters in for Leon’s 25th birthday. Having heard from Leon’s mother about her son’s difficulties making friends, Leon’s father determines it is unacceptable for any son of his should demonstrate a personal deficiency in public. The father vows to hire someone to help Leon make friends.

Cut to Rosita, late 20s. Educated on self-help books, she runs a business called Friendz. Currently, she’s in a financial pickle due to her ex-boyfriend absconding with most of her money. Surprise! Who shows up but a representative of Leon’s father with an offer. $100,000, but only if she can help Leon develop some friends. Certain criteria to prove she succeeded.

Yeah, this is a rom-com. What if Rosita succeeds in using the various methods to surface some friends for Leon, but they’re all surface-level connections, each only caring about Leon’s wealth, a fact Leon doesn’t pick up on. Meanwhile, Rosita has developed feelings for the original Leon and feels guilty about the “Frankenstein’s monster” she has helped create in Leon: Party Guy.

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

What would you do with this story concept?

Previous articles in this year’s series:

Day 1

Here are links to previous series:

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2017)

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2018)

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2019)

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2020)

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2021)

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2022)

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2023)

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2024)

Note: The articles from 2010–2016 have corrupted URLs. I am in the process of cleaning those up.

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.