My ideas come from everywhere.  Dreams, news, science, theology, any random thing that I see during my day.  You name it.

I'm pretty sure I have low latent inhibition, which allows me to create a story by combining a string of random facts that I've picked up over the years.

I'm turning my short, "The Bridge", into a feature that involves the Salish Sea Human Foot Discoveries, thawing permafrost, and the Belgica Antarctica (a species of insect that freezes solid during the winter).

Jordan

Most of my ideas are different takes on the familiar formula...

Clone Wife is romantic comedy where the other woman isn't another woman.

Zombie Playground is a zombie assault flick with no actual gore. Just PG slime!

I like to take that "left turn" with an idea and see if there's script potential.
For instance, there's an idea I have for a comedy...  About infertility!
What if a guy was secretly thrilled his hot wife couldn't have kids?

It's taking that cliche drama scene where the doctor gives the couple the bad news...
But our guy can barely contain how happy he is!!!

That's an example of how I like to get into a story.
That big old left turn that tells the reader to buckle up, we're leaving normal.

Regards,
E.D.

My early scripts were very personal, based on my real life experiences.  Unfortunately, none of that crap was interesting and no one gave a f*ck.  

My more recent works are basically -- pick a genre, stick to its water tight rules (and try and add a tiny little bit of me If I can).  

Yeah, I sold out.  

For the record, I usually get general ideas, or solutions to my scripts problems, in the shower or when I first get into bed at night.    

Easy answer - LIFE

A little more complex answer - I ask myself, "What if..." or "What would happen if...bla,bla,bla" and a premises is born, then I ask myself "okay, what do I want to say with this?" and the story comes from that.

And that's it... but life inspires all...

It depends on the script for me.

I wrote a comedy inspired by Babz and a challenge she gave.

I wrote another comedy inspired by another writer here.

My latest script, COSMIC JUSTIC, which will be posted soon, was inspired when I used to do investigative services. In the field of forensic documentation, I used to be sometime hired by families who wanted independent documentation of such things as autopsies.

I was on such a case where a little girl was raped and murdered.

**It should be noted that my script is not a depiction of that case.**

Thus the inspiration for the script

Shawn.....><  

On New Year's Eve, we were having tea, some of which included roast pumpkin.

I said, 'This pumpkin is unreal'.

My 9 year old daughter laughed and said, 'No it isn't, Dad, it's real. It's not unreal'!

Something in my head pinged and the next day I started work on a new script, a zombie Western.
The word 'unreal' triggered, and the whole concept for the story hit me.

I'm working along on it nicely at the mo, roughly 25 pages in.

Stevie,

I'm glad to hear you're still cranking on that concept, brother.

**Should be noted**

Me and Stevie are also talking about doing a comedy together.

I'm really looking forward to working with you bro.

Shawn.....><

Quoted from Ledbetter Me and Stevie are also talking about doing a comedy together.

Awwww another bro-mance on SS

Mark

I get ideas from all over the place. For example, I have an idea for an animated feature about three ginger cats which is inspired by my own real life cats. All three have very different personalities, though now there are only two.

I have an idea for a film set over freshers week. Although I never went to uni myself, I did go to a few friends freshers weeks and things did tend to get a little crazy.

I'm currently writing a stoner zom com, inspired by the fact that I am a stoner. All self respecting stoners have, at some point, considered a plan of action if zombies were to attack. The idea has just grown from there.

Quoted from irish eyes Awwww another bro-mance on SS Mark

I prefer to think of it as a colossal collision of comedic collaborative cranial collusion.

Or for you lesser minds…

A co-write-

Shawn…..><    

Quoted from irish eyes Awwww another bro-mance on SS Mark

Quoted from Ledbetter I prefer to think of it as a colossal collision of comedic collaborative cranial collusion. Or for you lesser minds� A co-write- Shawn�..><

Shawn good choice of all the "C"  words though I'm glad you didn't use a colossal collision of comedic collaborative colonoscopic collusion as that would be a pain in the ****.

Regards Alex

PS Shawn I'm glad I don't have a daughter after reading your location !!! Hee Hee Hee

The Thing That Wasn't - Based on a childhood experience. My sister and I had to stay in my parents' dark closet for five minutes if we wanted to stay up and watch Pet Sematary. My sister did it. My scared-shitless ass didn't. What was I so afraid of?

Red Light - Conceived when I was new to driving. In the middle of the night, my sister and I were stuck at this back-road intersection waiting for the light to turn green. Slowly I began contemplating a worst-case scenario to keep us from running the red light. Then I thought, what if a woman was murdered at this intersection? What if she could have been saved if somebody didn't run this red light? What if her ghost now haunts every driver who doesn't stop?

Coprophagia - I used to walk my dog in a neighborhood with a ridiculously-priced Homeowner's Association. There were always piles of dog crap along the sidewalk, and I began wondering, "Who would pay an obnoxious amount of money for a clean neighborhood, and then completely negate picking up after their dog? What reason could they possibly have?" Thus began a story about carnivorous dog shit. Hell, I wouldn't pick up my dog's poop if I knew it might bite. The story's been dramatically changed since, but that was where it all started.

Quoted from Alex_212 Shawn good choice of all the "C"  words though I'm glad you didn't use a colossal collision of comedic collaborative colonoscopic collusion as that would be a pain in the ****.

Now that's a shiity joke.

Shawn.....><

Quoted from Ledbetter Now that's a shiity joke. Shawn.....><

Thanks Shawn, In what context are you using shiiiity.

Hee Hee

My ideas sometimes just pop into my head, usually when I'm at work or first thing in the morning.  I've often run downstairs to grab a pen and paper.

Sometimes though an idea can come from a single word or phrase I hear.  My latest short 'Man Watcher' came from such a incident.  I heard it somewhere, it escapes me now, but I thought it sounded like a great title.

I've often thought it would be good to write down potential script titles and draw them out at random then write a short story to fit.  I've had the title 'Swings and Roundabouts' in my head for a while.