Stuck for a fictional story idea? Use strange news events as inspiration. Here's a good example:

Imagine that you are a bank teller in Jackson, Mississippi. It's 10 a.m. on a Friday morning, and everything is quiet. You are waiting for the lunch rush of workers cashing their paychecks for the weekend.

Suddenly, a mummy walks into the bank!



Only its eyes and lips are visible. Its arms, face, and head are covered by bandages. Over the bandages, it's wearing normal street clothes.

The mummy walks up to the counter and asks for help. Before you can figure out what to do or say, the mummy jumps over the counter, shovels handfuls of cash into it's clothing, and bolts out the door!

This is a true story.

Of course, it wasn't a real mummy. It was just a guy who couldn't get his hands on a ski mask.

However, let's pretend (because we're writers) that it was a real mummy.
Let's take this news story to the next level and make some zany fiction (again, because we're writers). 

Click "post your comment" below and answer some key questions about our thieving main character.
1. Why did the mummy need the money?
2. Why did the mummy ask for help before jumping the counter?
3. Why was the mummy wearing street clothes? Was it trying to blend in?
4. Did the mummy get caught?

Once you've thought this whole situation over, rewrite the robbery from the point of view of the mummy. Use this exercise as an opportunity to take an interesting premise, or basic idea, and create a complex, interesting character.

Expose your readers (the WORD world) to the mummy's inner monologue. For example, what was the mummy thinking when it got up that morning?
"My bandaged hands fumble with the alarm again. Someday I'll get an alarm clock with a bigger snooze button. Someday I'll have enough money to afford it."

What was the mummy thinking at the bank?
"Maybe if I ask for help the teller will just give me the money. Maybe she'll take pity on me. Maybe she'll learn to love me." 

And finally, what was the mummy thinking as it ran away?
"What was I thinking? I can't go to jail. I'm too young to go to jail!"

Well, anyway, you get the idea.  Go forth WORD minions. Go forth and conquer. The mummy awaits its story.