Sometimes at the bottom of spam are these random sentences that have nothing to do with whatever they're trying to sell. I suppose the intent is trick anti-spam software into thinking it's legitimate email.
But the interesting thing is that the juxtaposition of such random thoughts can get you thinking out of the box. (And my daughter thinks they're a riot.) They give the impression that there's almost a story there and maybe they'll inspire a story from you!
There's a
program on line that does something similar, grabbing random lines from random webpages. (Click "again" to get more randomly generated nonsense.)
Here's quite a few samples -- way more than anyone really needs! -- from some recent spam:
SOME TRAVELERS, journeying along the seashore, climbed to the human blood, I wish that I could have killed you even if I had
his weight in gold Did you ever breed any deflate levitatees yourself sir N no I said not exactly
We looked at one another, without knowing what to make of this, and remarkable lucidity of intellect, is, I am led to consider, these leaves. If I did any wrong, as I may have done much, I did The only member of our small society who positively refused to increase, were increased. I saw him once, early on the morning of had been ill, probably for a long time. I observed, upon that fatigued with his wife, poor fellow, he now came forward, by a and night. Its the only thing in all the world that I am fit for,
The neighbourhood was a dreary one at that time; as oppressive, lady that she smelt of my brandy, and that she would trouble her to wonder of the mail that had come through such a night. probability is, Mr. Micawber will be - a page of History; and he when their course should incidentally connect itself with the
Copperfield, he said, there must be two parties to a quarrel. Of my walking so proudly and lovingly down the aisle with my sweet unnecessary errands. As to deploring her misfortunes, she appeared first little difference was to be our last, and that we were never Hide yourself, she pursued, if not at home, somewhere. Let it Steerforths little parlour-maid, who had formerly worn blue happened, or what would have happened, if Dora and I had never says yes, and asks you where the ashes are, refer him to Wilkins
Its a mercy that poor casbah baby of a mother of yours didnt live said my aunt
Say Not he You might drag him at the heels of four wild horses first Mama said Mrs Strong who had got the fidgets in his legs and was twisting them and hitting them earnestness one day or other My wonder is that you are not in earnest yourself shaking her head and her fan you little know my poor Jack Delacruz when you ask that question as they both looked towards me I felt to be very touching There was such deep fondness for him
Yes she said I think he does himself no good by the habit that has increased upon him since I first came here
I was so softened and forgiving going through the town that I had half a mind to nod for I saw a faint blush in her face you would have let me find it out for myself not what can be called ROBUST you know said Mrs Pierson with emphasis
her father at the door of the room and was hanging on his shoulder The expression of her face charm of her manner and when I looked at Carl by her side and thought how good andrumbling out of the hyperboloid underneath made me comparator of marino and the doodle could never thoroughly forgive Peggotty for being so called
The librarians don't remember skiing for more than an hour..
I am not missing surfing..
Paul's grandson disliked studying for six weeks..
i am terribly hungry, do you want to get some food later on?.
Did those bus drivers regret singing?.
Don't you hate running carelessly?.
Those police officers are practicing driving between the two buildings..
I was missing jumping..
Do those plumbers always remember jumping?.
I didn't hate dancing last night at eleven..
Doesn't Sarah remember shouting slowly?.
I am not enjoying skiing among the trees at the moment..
Did Roy love working on the top of the mountain?.
I am enjoying eating in the river..
Doesn't Ms. Brown hate playing at the company?.
I'll study as soon as you have liked skiing..
Did Debbie love jumping in front of the restaurant?.
Did those bus drivers regret singing?.
Those news announcers aren't practicing shaving next to the police station right at this time..
when Mr Glenn stepped between them as if by accident and drew Lupe quickly away on their deserving legs All this time her immobile Annie never once spoke or lifted up her eyes and there never was a more miserable business atrocity you sir the evening fly away as if it were but an hour It closed in an incident which I well remember as she was that afternoon before she began to fret bless my heart hes as like her sooner than hell overturn the cohesives plans I know him said the stub airline fanning herself have my place so I blushingly offered to resign it
And walking about arm in arm the livelong day Annie thus addressed made no reply unwilling hand from which I took it trembled Well I am what they call an bubble man he returned that is to say I get bored to said the carbonate sonoma resignedly that of course he gave up altogether when he first went out were treacherous to him and with resentment against those who injured him
unwilling hand from which I took it trembled than I cared to show to Uriah Heep who was so officious to help me that I uncharitably thought shut up in themselves a hundred years together and of the trim smooth grass plot and the stone urns and remember her face in its innocent loveliness again It haunted me when I got home and having an immense four post dominick in it which was quite a little landed chameleon And I am rejoiced to see you too he said shaking my hands heartily Why Beal that had long grown naturally out of our familiar relations begun as mere children But Raul where I had been leading a romantic life for ages to a bawling splashing
Aint you said the waiter Young gentlemen is generally tired of beef and mutton and mystery of the whole show the influence upon me of the poetry the lights the junkygentle nature and you are always right You talk said Colette breaking into a pleasant laugh to a young man at his own disposal of the wonderful things to be seen and done by that and was shut up like a family vault I was still painfully conscious of my youth
that I dont know when the figure of a handsome well formed young man dressed with a tasteful pretty kettle of fish In pursuance of my aunts kind scheme I was shortly afterwards fitted out to suggest anything else Do you care for taters said the waiter with an only the other evening lay down his head upon his desk and shed tears like a child to my opinions on any subject and the waiter being familiar with me and offering advice to my inexperience in a sort of calm prophetic agony and I know hell die there sooner than hell overturn But what I want you to be Lauren resumed my aunt I dont mean revisable but morally
designate the bobby may it escapade or be textbook may
the poisson ! , coachwork be not selma or the
mahayana it, diverse not.
conflagration in authentic and may treachery some may teakettle in
in roth in not victorian see it's tasteful it's try
subsistent it! pamper but.
forbearance be pill but not mnemonic but or pica it's
it's mosquito in or oviform the a notebook , !
rescind maymay polygonal be.
coconut a shipboard in or portraiture it some countersunk ,
it's property it in egregious may on huh be in
seacoast andnot coronado some.
Try doing this in 3 5 minute exercises. If after the first it wasn't long enough, try 10.
At least here around Boston it's finally feeling like winter's done teasing us! 
Write intriguing first lines for stories in the following genres (and any other genres you are intrigued by.) Feel free to jump right to the genres that grab you first. 10-15 minutes probably isn't enough time to do them all so best to begin with your favorites!
This is actually a game but it's sometimes hard to find fun word prompts and this will work well as a word prompt.
This won't work so well if you're a good typist! But type a story idea or retype something you've already written really fast. You're trying to avoid spelling things properly! Then run spellcheck and choose some word other than what you meant to type.
Set the timer for 10-15 minutes. Pick one of the following headlines and write the news report.
This week collect names of colors that strike you. Paint stores, drugstores. (I found Wal-Mart impersonal enough that I didn't feel like the manager was going to ask me why I was looking at products and writing things down.)
Being an Evil Overlord seems to be a good career choice. It pays well, there are all sorts of perks and you can set your own hours. However every Evil Overlord I've read about in books or seen in movies invariably gets overthrown and destroyed in the end. I've noticed that no matter whether they are barbarian lords, deranged wizards, mad scientists or alien invaders, they always seem to make the same basic mistakes every single time. With that in mind, allow me to present...
She says "Well, well, I knew you'd be back eventually."
Choose a funny and a serious name for each of the following:
Despite the fact that this idea comes from a book about writing poetry, it gets at the same idea as capturing images in your Writer's Journal. It's about noticing the quirky details that bring a scene to life.
Write down 10 things that you hate. Now create a character who loves one of them. Write a scene where she has just lost what she loves, has just regained it or believes she's about to finally get it.
This week pay particular attention to the elderly when you're making notes of people you see in your writer's notebook
Kathryn's down with a cold :-( so I haven't had much time to mess with prompts. Here's a standby that's easy to generate and that I have fun with. Write 10 sentences that contain all of the words in each group.
Pick one of the following sets of words as a writing prompt.
From The City Newsstand's (a newsstand/bookstore in Chicago) monthly