The Mind of Bryan Lee Peterson

I’ve been constructing a new plot, and the way I’m assembling it is something new to me. It feels very open and energizing and new, while at the same time a great challenge. I won’t quite say what this new plot is, or how I’m putting it together, but I want to take it a step further for a specific purpose, namely to write more short work. I’m going to toss genres, story elements, character archetypes, conflicts, settings and the like into a hat, pull some out, and see what I come up with. Maybe it will lead to a story, maybe not, but it will likely spur something. So I’m looking for some comments of these kinds of things to add to my list. So, here’s the list I’ve compiled. Some of it isn’t standard, but I’m not looking for standard. I’m looking for options. Please, add in the comments and help the exercise out.

Genres

steampunk
horror
hard sf
comedic
high fantasy
dieselpunk
post apocalypse
adventure
thriller
western
historical
alternate history
alien invasion
Artificial intelligence
biopunk
cyberpunk
detective
dystopian
first encounter
first landings
dark fantasy
gothic
mundane
nanopunk
mind transfer
military
occupational
parallel universe
altered consciousness
Retro-futurism
spy
time travel
colonization
conspiracy
paranormal
treasure hunt
survivalist
railroad/expansion
politics
noir
magical realism
hauntings
lovecraftian
demonic
urban fantasy
urban horror

Characters

Archetypes
financier
CEO
hero
poor man
the feeder
grifter
jester/comedian
lover
scapegoat
tragic hero
gothic hero
feminist hero
Anti-hero
underdog
outsider
unreliable hero
superhero
monster
guide
priest
monk
robber baron
young man
mentor
pupil
friendly beast
the shadow
the devil
devil with potential to be good
shapeshifter
robot
outcast
creature of nightmare
damsel in distress
profligate
lush
town tamer
outlaw
earth mother
temptress
white goddess
unfaithful wife
Star-crossed lovers
trickster
clockmaker
mad scientist
fall guy
femme fatale
knight
liar
warrior
storyteller
military man
magical boy
police (order)
magical negro
swashbuckler
faust
quixote
overreacher
logician
rival

locations
the crossroads
the maze
the castle
the desert
the city
the road
the tower
library

time periods
near future
far future
victorian
enlightenment
samurai
renaissance
present day

conflicts
quest for identity
find the promised land
vengeance
save his people
search for knowledge
fool’s errand
rid the land of danger
grail quest
road of trials
good and evil
light vs dark

plot points
ritual
the fall
the task
the journey
initiation
the hunt

objects
the weapon
treasure
grail