How to Cook Up 10 Story Ideas in 10 Minutes

Corey Rosen
Dec 30, 2025
2 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

Ever feel stuck when given a storytelling prompt? You hear something like “out on a limb” and your mind immediately jumps to the obvious or literal ideas. Maybe you think of climbing a tree, taking a risky bet, or doing something crazy.

The method I use to generate multiple story ideas from a single prompt is called “Exploding the Prompt.”

Step 1: Start with the Obvious

Begin by writing down the first few ideas that pop into your head, even if they seem boring, cliché, or “bad.” The goal is to get them out of your head. These early ideas make room for wilder, deeper, or more surprising memories to emerge.

Step 2: Branch Out the Prompt

Take your prompt and break it into all possible angles or definitions. Let’s say the prompt is “endings.” Some branches might be:

Death of a pet
Death of a loved one
End of a relationship/marriage
End of a job
End of a lease or mortgage
Ends of your hair
End of the line
Completing a course or training
Completing a creative project
End of a life phase: childhood, pregnancy, college

Step 3: Trigger Memories

For each branch, ask yourself: “Does this spark a memory or potential story?” Here’s what that might look like for me:

Death of a pet: Teaching my kids about loss after their goldfish died
Death of a loved one: Discovering my cousin had a secret after he passed
End of a relationship: Breaking up with the girl my parents wanted me to marry
End of a job: Being fired from the post office for failing the driving test
End of a lease: Getting evicted while my wife was pregnant
Ends of your hair: My little brother cutting his hair like a beloved bald cousin
End of the line: Falling asleep on the school bus
Completing a creative project: Creating a cabaret show and taking it on tour
End of a life phase: Kids losing their teeth at summer camp

Within just a few minutes, you now have 10 story seeds ready to develop into full stories.

Step 4: Select and Develop

Not every idea will be performance-ready. But that’s okay. Choose the ones that feel most interesting, funny, or emotional. Expand them with details, dialogue, and personal reflection to turn them into memorable stories.

Step 5: Practice

Try telling a few of these stories aloud, even to a friend or in front of a mirror. You’ll notice that the ideas you generated naturally flow into compelling narratives once you start exploring the memories behind them.

Why This Works: Many people get stuck because they take only the first idea that pops into their head. By “exploding” the prompt, you push past the obvious and uncover ideas that might have otherwise stayed hidden. This method is fast, fun, and incredibly effective for storytellers of any level.

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