Image Credits: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes.
I often use a wide variety of random generators because I need various ways to trigger ideas for characters and stories. Having these different ways of being able to create tales is useful. Mixing up what I use is also good for keeping me on my creative toes!
I see random generators as the modern equivalent of story cubes (I use those too!). I also use books of prompts (and have contributed to some), proverbs and well known sayings (sometimes I subvert these to generate even more tales) but, by far, the method I use most often is the random generator.
The Benefits of Random Generators
I think there are several benefits to using these.
The prompt which comes up really is random. You may have thought of some which come up but you certainly won’t think of all these things can trigger for you. No one writer could do that. There are thousands of possibilities! This means you have access to far more potential ideas.
If you’re writing for competitions with a set theme, using the random generators can help you practice writing to a theme set by someone else. I’ve found this helpful. It means I’m not fazed by the thought of this.
You can vary the type of random generator you use to trigger still more ideas.
You can vary the parameters with each generator so doing that again will trigger even more ideas.
The more types of generator you use, the more you vary the ways you get into creating stories. This is a real boost to your creativity. I can’t think of any writer for whom that would be a problem!
I will often use a generator (especially one on themes or questions) to give me the idea for the underlying article or story I want to write. For example, for this post, I found on the random generator the question When was the last time you changed your opinion about something major?
Now, firstly, I could use that as a topic for a future Chandler’s Ford Today post. Secondly, for fictional purposes, I could get a character to answer that question. The story would show the character changing their opinion and the consequences. I could equally write both of these ideas up for fiction and non-fiction. Two items from one generated idea – I like this.
Random generators are easy to access. A quick Google search will bring up several. Some have several generators within one overall site. You will have plenty of choice. There are the obvious word generators (adjectives, nouns, simply random words) and I’ve used these by placing the words generated in a story.
Sometimes if I’ve generated three or four words, I will use all of them in order in the story. I’ve found the random number one surprisingly inspiring for story ideas. Numbers can be used as times when something must happen in the story, parts of an address where the action takes place, or as a figure of money my character wants for some reason. Those are just a few ways of using just the number generator.
I think the generators do encourage lateral thinking as I think of ways to use what has come up in my stories. For example, I used a sequence of numbers for a story for Friday Flash Fiction.I initially used the random number generator and then decided I would use the following two numbers. You can find the results here!
It is what you do with the item generated which will make your story or article unique. The generators are just a modern way of receiving an endless supply of writing prompts. Well, that is how I see them!
I often take something which has been generated and then put my own spin on it by, say, changing one word, or adding on numbers as I did for the story, The Neighbours, shared above. I see the generators as a starting point.
Types of Random Generator
This is not an exhaustive list as there are loads of generators but some of the most common ones are below.
Random words (and can have random phrases too).
Random adjectives, nouns, adverbs (basically think of any part of a sentence and there is likely to be a random generator for it!).
Random numbers.
Random questions (useful for fiction and non-fiction as mentioned earlier).
Random themes.
Random pictures (including one based on the game Pictionary).
Random objects (I get my characters to have to use the object at some point in the story).
Discovered while researching this post there is such as a thing as a random Never Ever Have I generator! I will be coming back to this one because I can see immediate usages for it for characters.
Also found a random facts generator. Could prove useful for non-fiction writing.
Random names (male, female, neutral). You can often choose the setting for the name too. So I could generate a name for a female fairy. Equally I could generate a Polish name.
Tips For Using Random Generators
Ironically, I’ve found it useful not to generate too much in one go. You can find yourself swamped. I’ve found generating two or three things at a time works best. If none of those appeal, I generate another two or three. Often within a couple of minutes, I’ve found something I will then start working with.
I deliberately mix up the type of generator I use. It keeps things interesting for me and, I hope, readers. It also challenges me to be able to respond to any prompt set. Again, that’s useful practice for writing for competitions.
Take something generated and change it in some way. If I generate a name, I will add a surname of my choice, for example. Or if the name which came up was, say, Kevin, I might decide Keith would be a better fit for my proposed character. I would start looking at why that was and in doing that I would discover more about Keith. Doing that will trigger thoughts for the situations Keith is likely to find himself in too. So a rough outline starts to take shape just thanks to generating one name which I decide to change. But I needed that initial name to start this process.
Conclusion
I see the random generators as a useful aid. I don’t use them all of the time. As mentioned, I mix them up with other prompts. Sometimes if I like the look of a competition theme but know I haven’t the time to enter it, I will note down the theme and come back to it later. I can then submit this piece to an open competition or keep it to one side ready for when the theme comes up again somewhere.
Themes do come up regularly. All fiction (even science fiction and fantasy) has at least some basis in what we know here, what we know about human nature and so on. So the themes which matter to us are bound to come up in fiction time and time again. Writers can make good use of that. I can’t see them stopping love theme stories for around the middle of February in each year any time soon, can you?
For me, having a starting point is crucial. Once I’ve got that, away I go on my outline and first draft. Random generators can be a useful additional aid to help writers find their starting points. They certainly have proved to be helpful that way for me.
Related Posts:-
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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