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I think I want to try writing something now, I just don't have any ideas.

Or I mean like I get ideas like scenes from a movie, but none of them will work as an entire plot.

Next time you think of a scene, concentrate really hard....and then think of the next scene. Then just keep doing that.

make story from writing prompt

Some people go for a full plot skeleton while others go for interesting characters, then develop around a plot they come up with in spurts along the way. There's really successful authors that do both. I find it easier to just come up with a premise and setting with characters, then let it evolve. Otherwise, I struggle with fleshing out the middle of the plot. Coming up with things as you go also works really well with CYOA-style writing. Hope that helps.

Speaking of which, while not related to the OP at all, how do you flesh out the middle of a plot? Because as I'm working on one of the arcs of my story, I can only think of the beginning and the end and have no idea how I can insert anything of real substance into the middle.

You should ask Mizal about this as she sent me a detailed DM about this exact thing with now to structure plots.

 

To sum it up the middle of the story should be all focused on how the character tries to solve their conflicts, with failures and setbacks as things become more dire.

I wish we could sticky a forum thread in the Writing Workshop that could summarize the answer to this meaningless discussion, because the most common topic here is "Guys please, I really want to write this amazing story, but I have literally no ideas, what am I supposed to do!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Ideas should come naturally to anyone who has a modicum of imagination. If you don't have any ideas, there are plenty of ways to brainstorm them: you can watch a movie, but watch it for the overarching plot, not just random scenes (although random scenes can also be helpful, because you can analyze what that scene is doing within the movie and try to emulate that feeling with your writing), or you can read a book, fictional or not, and take note of everything the author does to make you interested, what works and what doesn't, and what personally appeals to you. Another neat way to come up with ideas is by playing a sandbox game where you can come up with stories behind random events within the game world.

I may or may not be actively working on stickying threads already...

That would be legendary.

yes, that would be delightful :)

I mean it's not like this board is overflowing with activity even on a good day, I would like to sticky sims general newbie advice along with links to articles, but I see threads like this as a pulse check for the rest of you.

You seem like you're a lot of fun to be around.

Bitch please, I'm delightful. So have you unfucked your fuckery or what.

Looks like he was responding to Wizzy, but I'm guessing his answer to your question would also be in the negative.

Uh oh, tman doesn't have threaded view on.

Personally not a fan of it but both my point and my question stand

Damn, you don't even have any ideas for insults.

Do the exact opposite of your name.

You like Westerns so why not write a Western? I'm not too familiar with these but aren't most of them the story of a hero riding into town and solving problems like in an RPG? That shouldn't be too difficult.  

Ever read a story or watched a movie where you were thinking, 'why the fuck would you do that?', or 'what if he just did X instead of Y?'.

Now think of your story and add a choice at that moment. Great, now you got two stories. Keep on doing that until there's a choice every few pages, or every few hundred words. Great, you got an interactive fiction now.

If you haven't got a story, think of your favorite one and just repackage it. Put your medieval peasant hero in a spacesuit, or put your favorite dark overlord in jail and see what comes out of it.

If you still haven't got shit, it's time to start consuming stories, either movies, books, or stories on this site. See what strikes you as cool enough to experiment yourself.

Just unfuck your fuckery. Problem solved.

What works for me drawing up one of those plot webs. If you have an idea on how to start and how to finish, write up a couple pages of non-content for the setting.

Characters, factions, places events that will always happen at a certain time. This helps you visualize the world you are building in, at least it does for me. And the more details you add, ie how a faction operates, what a certain character's past or weakness is, can help you evolve your story on an organic way.

Like if this meteor smashes this city at this time this faction will respond this way because they operate off of this ethic and their boss is this and this city was important to them because of this and this character will respond this way because *insert prologue character here* is here and they felt about them this way so now the MC has to deal with this situation in the city, this station's response and this character's response.

I think the best way to do the story is have your beginning and end, flesh out the setting and let the challenges that the MC faces organically raise from details on your setting as the story by progresses. Just don't forget to make the end matter along the way.

I always like the setting first approach. I know other people plot differently, like around characters or themes or whatever and just build a bare bones setting as needed, but the thing is: they're weird.

When I don’t know what to write about, but I feel the need. I sit down and write. When I do not evaluate my letter, I do what is boring, and everything is meaningless. After a while, I analyze the text and find the connections that interest me. This is my stupid unconscious method.