Tons of inspiration, but no way to channel it

[attatt]

Every week I drive by a place that provides me with a tremendous amount of inspiration. I see the potential for a million movies, books, or comics, but I cannot figure out how to use it.

I feel like something great is staring me in the face and I am looking right past it. This really kills me because there are very few movies that have ever used this place as a setting. I have a million ideas every day, but none of them ever fit this particular place. (and no, it's not a Victoria's Secret or Adult bookstore ;D)

Is anyone else having this issue?

[songswithoutwords]

Use it in a viking movie.

[songswithoutwords]

(hoping a random suggestion will work when all else has failed)

[dwight]

Write a story about somebody that hates and despises the place.

[echomusic]

Look, you wanna write Porta-Potty The Movie? Then DO IT!

But for real now -- just start jotting down the things that excite you about this place. Maybe a bit of dialogue, or a scene. Anything. Eventually you'll be able to piece it together and then you'll have the beginings of your story.

[hbomb]

Ya, I'm going to elaborate on echomusic here. This has happened to me in the past to, but usually i'll end up just starring at the architecture for like 15 minutes while people just walk by me thinking I'm weird. What I would suggest is to write a poem on it. Look at the poem a week or so later and see if anything is there. The poem can just be words and intuition and shit. good luck.

[mscherer]

att²,

Don't know if this place is a building or a water fall or a termite hill, but I would suggest you start playing the What IF game..

Assuming it is a building:

What if it is built on an ancient cemetery?
What if it is built over a portal to the underworld?
What if the architect/contracter/builder buried several bodies in the walls?

What If? What If? What If?

Keep asking those questions -- let one idea flow into another -- something will click, but always,

Keep Writing!

[attatt]

Man, I have done all that stuff and I cannot come up with something that I really like. I dont just want to write anything, you know what I mean?

I also should have noted this specifically inspires an adventerous theme. It can be a funny, dramatic, or scary adventure, but it would have to be an adventure none the less.

[kurtismae]

Research the history of the place.

What was on the site before? What businesses have occupied the place before? Or what type of people?

Find folks who work, or have worked, in the building.

If you had a time-lapse photograph of the place from the beginning to the present, what sort of feel would that image have.

Clearly, to you there is something haunting about the place. If you can discover/uncover what that is (and why it's hiding) I believe you'll find your story.

Kurt

[martinblank]

Just ask yourself: what is the worst thing that could happen here?

Then make it your story.

Cheers,
Martin

[attatt]

"what is the worst thing that could happen here?" I dont know if I thought about that. I think I have been trying to connect this place to something from the outside.

Thanks, great idea