Wednesday, February 16, 2011

News Pegs as Ideas for Stories

Today I heard on the news about a house invasion in the Vanoouver area. Stolen from the residence was $750,000 worth of silver bars. The police officer interviewed said it is the hope and wish of the RCMP that people do not keep large amounts of cash or valuable metals in their homes, but, if they do, they should "keep it to themselves." She said that it was obvious that the theives knew what they were looking for.

How's that for an idea for a story! Hard to believe, but, as they say, truth is stranger than fiction.

Some questions to ask about this incident to pump it up to a story or a poem:
- why was all that silver in the house?
- where did it come from?
- how long had the owner been "collecting" it?
- what was it eventually going to be used for or what was the owner planning to do with it?
- who else knew about it?
- how did the information leak out?
- what about insurance? (Can you insure that under your regular house insurance??)

Anyway, scan the newspapers. Find the odd stories. Take a line or an idea and go to town with it!

Remember to change the names to protect the innocent and the guilty.

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