Story idea generator
Pick a genre and get story ideas that join a hero, a goal, a setting and a complication. Press again for new combinations.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Choose a genre.
- Set the number of ideas.
- Press Generate again until a premise sparks something. Copy the ones you like.
Turning an idea into a story
- Name the hero and say what they want.
- State what happens if they fail.
- Decide who or what stands in the way.
- Use the twist (if the idea has one) as the middle of the story.
Example
A young sailor must sail to the island that appears once a year in a lake that glows at night, but the compass will not settle. Ask: why does the sailor need that island, and who gave them the compass?
Frequently asked questions
How are the ideas made?
Each idea fills a sentence template with a hero, goal, place, conflict, secret, event or twist chosen from lists for the genre. The choice is random in your browser, so the same idea can appear again after many draws.
Will the ideas make sense every time?
Mostly, but random combinations can be odd. That is useful: treat a strange pairing as a question to answer in your story.
Is this a finished plot?
No. It is a premise, one sentence to build on. Add characters, stakes and an ending.
Can I use the ideas commercially?
The ideas are short, generic premises, and anything you write from them is yours. Do not assume that any premise is unique, since many writers can reach similar ones.