There is a place in the universe where people can only breathe if they forget to do so.
You may have seen that some of my stories start with the words, “There is a place in the universe where…” I use that phrase to generate ideas sometimes since I think of the universe as a place of endless possibility.
Completing Statements to Generate Ideas
If I’m stuck for ideas, I’ll sometimes just write “There is a place in the universe where…” and complete the sentence. For instance:
“There is a place in the universe where a fish uprising has upturned all of society, and none now dare laugh at fish puns.”
“There is a place in the universe where men and dogs are virtually indistinguishable.”
“There is a place where roaches dance a sad waltz under a shining purple moon.”
“There is a place in the universe where a man sits among the stars singing a song of mourning for all birds who never sang their own songs.”
“There is a place in the universe where great piles of abandoned weapons and armor shamble about.”
Don’t worry about whether these places could actually exist. Just focus on getting as weird and whimsical as possible.
Playing with Friends
It might be fun to send this to a friend and have them complete it. Take turns telling each other what is in this vast, weird universe of yours.
“There’s a place in the universe where people wear plaid shirts, khaki shorts, argyle socks (to the knee), and where photographers are burned at the stake.”
That is an actual response I got from a friend once. Your friends might come up with wild ideas you would never conceive of, so give it a go! Much of the best creative work in this world is collaborative, so let others share in your bouts of madness!
Developing Your Ideas
Once you have an idea (or several) that you really like, it’s time to develop them. Questions of “Why?” and “How?” can help here, as can adding fun details. Basically, just continue the train of thought you started with the statement.
For instance, let’s take the shambling weapons example:
“There is a place in the universe where piles of weapons and armor shamble about, animated by the ghosts of their former wielders. Sometimes, you can see ranks and files in their forms, while others are the confused morass of those who died in open melee.
“They roam old battlefields where the restless spirits of armies had their business frustrated, whether that was the destruction of their foes or the saving of some realm or the reaching of some long-forgotten objective.”
Or our roaches example:
“There is a place where roaches dance a sad waltz under a shining purple moon. Tunes of pink and green and yellow weave their way through their wings as their many feet tap out a rhythm of long-forgotten decay, for in their world, all things have become new, and there is no more death.
“So mourn the cockroaches, who once thrived upon death and decay, but now are mere shadows, fragments of a once-great civilization, dancing in the somber purple moonlight.”
Let Go of “Right”
Perhaps the best key to developing fun ideas is to temporarily suspend any concept of “right.” There is no “wrong” idea here. Just play around a while and see what you come up with!
Starting with “There is a place in the universe” can be a great way to do that.
There is a place in the universe where somebody will inevitably comment on this post. It might not be this part of the universe though. It could be a facet of reality where squirrels are the dominant species and Earth never came to be. Anyway, share this with your friends! All proceeds go toward quelling the fish uprising. Really.