5 Stories You Should Try Writing/Reading!

     For those of you that write, or even just want to give it a shot for fun, or like list (I don't know just go with it), I present this first list of things to try! I was writing today and realized that this was the first time I had written this kind of short story. Yes, it's still set in the wizard-cowboy world I made up. The catch is that I wrote it from the point of view of Samson's wife, Bonnie (Samson is the sheriff of the book I wrote since I don't think I have said that before). Not exactly like the biggest change to the usual kind of thing I'm whipping up for the collection, but it got me to thinking "What other kinds of things have I never tried or have tried that aren't seen often?" So here is a quick list with a quick explanation of some ideas that might spark some new stories or interest in those kinds of stories.

1. Write from the POV of the opposite gender: Figured I'd ahead and write this one since I had just talked about it above. This one was actually really fun for me to do, as it showed me just how little I truly think about things from the point of view of someone such as my own wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and so on. Most of my stories are from the point of view of a couple of idiots and for a while has been just Samson. So, taking the same setting and writing from a perspective I have only seen and not look though myself was cool! However, I would suggest you do the same thing I am doing, and have it reviewed by some close friends that share that same perspective so that any tropes or misconceptions can be caught early. I don't think I did that per say, but better safe than sorry!
2. Mix two genres/settings you want to see together: This one is something that I have had first hand experience in. In fact, it's all I really write as of right now. Try taking something like horror and mix it with comedy, something so few get right but is awesome when done correctly. Maybe even add some magic to your space opera, like Spelljammer did for DnD. Why not add some Sci-Fi to your cowboys instead of magic! Han Solo and "Firefly" can't be the only things that have roguish space-faring desperados. I'm sure there are tons of other combinations that would look odd at first, but could make for some great stories.
3. Take a genre you hate and make it yours: Okay, I think I mentioned this before, but until I started writing Western-ish things and read some good Westerns, I promised myself I would never write a western. I was born and raised in Texas, and I figured it would be too on the nose if I started writing such a story. Although that probably is still true, I realized that as a writer if I took a genre and changed the things I didn't like, I could write things in ways I had never seen before. Instead of dreading romance because of the tropes and trends commonly in romance, make your own romance with your own sweet couple! I never thought I would be any good at poetry, yet I was picked to be the winner of this contest we were having for the schools creative writing club for Valentines Day (in case you're curious you can find it here). If I could do that, the guy who also said I couldn't write good poetry, no reason you can't make your own horror story with all the stuff you like.
4. Add something completely random and have the characters deal w/ it: Picture this; it's a sunny day, the birds are chirping, your character/s are waking up and enjoying breakfast, then BOOM there's a dinosaur. Yes I know that is far fetched and somehow too obvious but imagine the chaos this would cause and ideas that might transpire. Imagine the people you have written before dealing with this sudden change to the status quo and how they would handle it. First thing that comes to mind is all the different crossovers that have happened like "TMNT vs Batman" or even "Scooby Doo" and all their weird crossovers like hanging out with the Harlem Globe Trotters. Have fun, go wild with it! Add a mech to your coming of age romance story! Why not! You're the writer, have the girlfriend save her boyfriend from the no descript giant lizard! (In hind sight I think If I did well enough with that story about Bonnie I might try this.)
5. Write that super tropey video game/movie/rpg story: If you're going to throw everything and the kitchen sink into a campy, overly cliché, sappy story, you might as well add the fridge and outside freezer. We all know the things we hate in media, and make fun of them like I did in earlier posts, but eventually if you write it good enough and add enough stuff it becomes satire. Comedy is born, or at least I think it is, when we poke fun at the things that are silly in daily life. This is also true when we poke fun at the things in media. Some of the funniest stuff ever written was by A.I. trying to write a story exactly as commanded. See a robot try and recreate an action movie means it can only pull from already exist, and comes off almost as if it was writing by the most sarcastic, grammatically incorrect writer to ever exist. If a program can do it, give it a try.

So there's the list! I hope it was helpful for anyone in a slump or in need of some ideas. I know it can be hard sometimes to come up with stuff when life just keeps getting in the way. My way of dealing with it is not to waiting until the iron is hot then start striking it, start hammering away until it's hot! The first draft of anything is going to be not great anyway. Revision is where we really start cooking. At least, that's what I think. What about y'all? How do y'all find inspiration when it feels like it's ran out? Let me know in the comments below, share this with people, the whole shebang and I can't wait to let y'all see the next post.