Short story help?

Question

I have to write a short story for an assignment. I'm a sophmore and I have always loved reading, but I have way to many ideas.

I have one idea, where a girl and a guy get stuck in an elevator on a high school trip, like a school week trip to Boston or New York or D.C. They are completely different, but they start talking and they click I guess, and no this is not some cliche girl-guy romance opposite side of the tracks and live happily ever after. Maybe they just become good friends, I just can't decide on the theme of it all, like do they dislike each other, romance, secrets; and I can't decide where they should get stuck in an elevator, a museum or a hotel maybe?

My other idea is to write a story based on this woman who has the same first name and last initial as me. For I guess 2 years, I keep getting e-mails from people looking for her thinking I am her, e-mails are similar I guess. Maybe I could write about like if she went missing or ran off & why people need 2 talk 2 her.

Answer 1

You have some good ideas. I am not interested by the first one so much, but the second one definitely has potential. I would give her the same first and last name as you, however (chances are people won't confuse you two just by the same initials). I would say that for a long time as you received the emails you just ignored them, because they were bland "Hi, how are you," kind of notes. But, after some time, you open ones with headlines that are similar, asking her where she went, they haven't seen her/talked to her in months. Maybe they went by her house and there's no car, no lights, no activity, mails flowing out of the mailbox, etc. You could find out through one of the letters that she actually lives in your city/town, and go spy on the house. Twist at the end? Perhaps she's actually a con artist, and has been using your info for part of her identity. Maybe she's dead in the closet. Maybe her grandkids killed her for the inheritance. Just some ideas- good luck!

Answer 2

Write about that woman and yourself stuck in the elevator and, like, after a long talk, both of you figured out that you have the same initial and you did receive her emails and what trouble she had because of that