G IS FOR GOLDENROD

G is for Goldenrod (Skim to the underlined genre or style that best suits you.)

Ideas can’t be copyrighted, so the ideas I am posting are free for any of you to use.

How Romantic is a bouquet of goldenrod? Probably not high on the best-gift-of-the-year list, but can you imagine if it were the only flowers that survived the fire scorching a person’s land, and that person was willing to give those last few blossoms to someone dear? The gesture just skyrocketed in the happy-heart department.

In a Mystery, Goldenrod might be used as a weapon. Many people are allergic to it. It isn’t hard to look up the medicinal effects of any plant. I just checked the Internet. Goldenrod has been used in remedies for bladder infections, kidney stones, arthritis, and more. But if you gave it to somebody who was allergic to it, and gave it in a large dose, a bad reaction could be quite hairy for somebody with heart trouble. It might even send them up the golden staircase a bit early.

Literary lovers might note the depletion of the bounty of goldenrod in a character’s yard year after year, which parallels the diminishing state of the character’s mind as he or she faces the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease. How can goldenrod just quit growing? How can a mind just quit working? Show the parallels and the contradictions to bring your story to life.

For a Children’s story I can’t help but remember a book in my childhood with a little boy who gave a fat, juicy strawberry to the little girl he liked. I don’t want to tell you how many years it’s been since I read it, but let’s just say this story has lived in my mind for decades. It probably opened me to the world of romance, even though it was a children’s story that could be read in ten minutes. So, what if a young character picked a bouquet of goldenrod for his or her crush, then put the stems in a vase with water. Before the elegant bouquet could be delivered, however, chores had to be done. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough water in the vase, and the goldenrod wilted while the character slaved away. And his big brother has reluctantly been busy mowing the lawn during that time and, while texting, just sheared down the rest of the goldenrod as if it were nothing but weeds! Now what? Let your imagination take you from there.

Choose an idea and get started writing! Or, share your own idea in one of these genres or in one I didn’t mention, such as sci-fi or fantasy. Thanks!

Happy writing!