As I’ve mentioned before, I keep a running diary of story ideas I call a “thought bucket.” I generally write one or two quick ideas down there with some notes and maybe a few references. I was taking a quick break from some of my other writing (outlining the first story arc of a story scheduled to hit shelves next year, working on another screenplay… well, two screenplays simultaneously, finishing up a short story submission, the webcomics, and a bunch of research for other projects), so I decided to go through a couple old ideas and think about what actually inspired them…

• Cartoon Kings – At a visit to the studio that produces their favorite but unsuccessful and soon-to-be-cancelled cartoon show, two brothers stumble onto a secret device that controls everything on the show as its playing on TV. They use the device to have fun with their favorite character not realizing that their mucking about with the show is broadcast live around the country. Their antics revitalize interest in the show to make it successful again… until their older brother gets ahold of the device shocking the country and bringing down the fury of the FCC. Inspired by a drunken costume party where I ran into a prior “short term female acquaintance” of mine who was dressed as a cartoon character. I was dressed as a King Tut, and as the night went on, she got a little tipsy and flirty and asked me, “How’d you like to be the king of cartoons?” Of course, the story idea morphed into something a little more innocent in my notebooks. The rest of that night? Well, that’s a different story… the kind where the almost-a-stalker you never knew about takes you back to her apartment.

• Our Private Purgatory – A romantic takes his girlfriend to a place recommended by a friend where there’s a beautiful view of the ocean and the sunset. But being in the middle of nowhere after the sun sets with a car that won’t start lets this panicked, young couple get to know each other a bit better than they really wanted. Drove a girlfriend to a “quiet” beach spot when the full moon was out. It was a fun night… until we tried to drive home and my rear wheels were spinning in the sand leaving us stuck there. On the beach… in the middle of winter… no one around for miles… and way before I ever owned a cell phone. Working in the wet sand in winter to get the wheels freed up wasn’t as romantic as I’d hoped.