A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 28
This is the 15th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Because the best way to come up…
This is the 15th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Because the best way to come up with a great story idea is to come up with a lot of ideas. And the best way to come up with a lot of ideas is to be proactive in sourcing story ideas.
Today’s story: “The Frightening Legend of Houska Castle.”
Houska Castle (Czech: Hrad Houska) is a Czech clifftop castle shrouded in dark myths and legends. It was originally constructed in the 13th century, between 1253 and 1278, during the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia. The castle, which was built in the early gothic style, is located about an hour north of Prague on the top of a steep, rocky cliff in the Czech countryside. It is thought to be one of the most haunted locations in the world.
At first glance the castle seems quite ordinary but upon closer inspection one notices a few strange features. Firstly, many of the castle windows are actually fake. If you look closely, you will see that most of the windows are merely facades: glass panes behind which sturdy walls are built. Secondly, the castle has no fortifications, no water source, no kitchen, and, for years after it was constructed, no occupants. This makes it clear that Houska Castle was not built as a protective sanctuary or a residence.
The location of the castle is also peculiar. It is situated in a remote area surrounded by thick forests, swamps, and sandstone mountains. The location has no strategic value and is not situated near any trading routes. Many people wonder why Houska Castle was built in such a strange location. Ancient legends may be able to answer that question.
According to folklore, Houska Castle was constructed over a large hole in ground which was known as The Gateway to Hell. It is fabled that the hole was so deep that no one could see the bottom of it. Legend has it that half-animal, half-human creatures used to crawl out from the pit at night, and that black winged creatures used to attack locals and drag them down into the hole.
It is believed that the castle was built to keep the evil in.
Unwitting visitors unleash demon hordes from Hell! My day is done!
There you go. My 27th story this month. Free for you to take and write.
Previous articles 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
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
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.
Let’s say you’ve found a story concept from an article in this series. Or you have an idea of your own, but you’re at the very beginning of the story-crafting process.
How to develop, then write it as a screenplay?
May I humbly recommend my book The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling.
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The book is structured to provide writers an approach to the story-crafting process grounded in immersing oneself in the lives of the characters (Parts I and II). Then Part III presents a stage by stage approach to break story: from concept to outline.
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You may purchase The Protagonist’s Journey here:
Come back tomorrow for another Story Idea Each Day For A Month.