A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 9

This is the 14th 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:

You always need more than one in your gun.

Want that explained? Go here to read a Business of Screenwriting post.

Today’s story idea: A Father-Daughter Trip on a Cruise for Gay Men.

The article is a touching story about the author’s memory of a final trip she took with her father. I immediately was struck by an opportunity for an indie drama-comedy.

What if there were an elderly father and his 40s year-old daughter? He has lived a secretly closeted gay lifestyle for many years. In part he’s kept it a secret because his daughter, a devout religious type, thinks homosexuality is a sin. The father invites the daughter on a gay cruise. As the article says: “From my view across the dining room, I appeared to be the sole female passenger on the cruise ship carrying several hundred gay men from Miami, Florida, to San Juan, Puerto Rico.”

This is how the father is going to reveal his secret. Once his daughter is aboard, she is trapped and can’t leave. Seven days surrounded by gay men.

Oh, and the father is also going to introduce Frank to his daughter. Frank. The father’s bride-to-be. Yes, they are getting married on the cruise ship. And Dad wants his daughter to serve as his Best Man.

The daughter (let’s call her Bridget) will be forced to confront her prejudices by meeting all these gay guys, eventually forging friendships with some of them.

And of course, some great disco dancing scenes.

There you go, my 9th story idea of the month. And it’s yours. Free! What would YOU do with it?

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

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.