Brainstorming

Story Generation

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Many of our readers ask how we come up with story ideas. The answer, fledglings, is that it varies. There's no formula. 

Sometimes it's obvious what we should cover. If there's a book, movie, art show, video game, or product of any kind that relates to our quirky interests, we want to research it and write about it so you can learn about it, too. As much as we try to cover nationally-marketed products that are available to nearly everyone, we also enjoy shedding light on more obscure things. Often we say the weirder, the better.

Other times, we sit and bounce ideas off of each other until somebody gets excited. What starts out as small talk gives way to grander ideas. Then we further develop these ideas until they become fully-fleshed pitches capable of being researched and written with plenty of entertaining details.

Our classes also inspire us. Most of us are still students at Virginia Commonwealth University and most of us study the arts, English, or Mass Communications. History classes often prompt us to explore topics for our 'Brains' category in more depth, while fashion classes encourage us to write something for 'Beauty.' Art history, literature, theater, creative writing, cinema, and other classes inspire us, too.

Then, every once in a while, a chubby quail perches herself on one of our shoulders and whispers a story idea into our ear. She's pretty persuasive.