Answering, 113. By a rough system of tabulating, allowing two points for
a subject when it is usually or always the genesis of a story, and one
point when it is sometimes or rarely the genesis, we get the following
general view:
Character, 73; character and action, 4; character and situation, 10;
situation, 73; incident, 69; titles, 19; setting, 19; purpose, 14;
phrase, 11; "just born," 5; emotion, 4; miscellaneous, 26; varying as to
genesis, 57; don't know, 4.
The miscellaneous include such as: contrast, condition of mind, problem,
motive, period, tales, a name, a view of life, news, period.
These statistics from the data given can serve merely to give a general
survey and to indicate, at least approximately, the relative frequency
of use. That character, situation and incident should head the list was
rather to be expected, though hardly in that order. That titles should
rank next seems surprising.
The interest in these data is chiefly for the beginner. Probably the
best place to get an idea for a story is wherever you can get it and be
satisfied with it, but this data may show the beginner sources not
previously considered. Perhaps the best service to him is the
demonstration that creative minds do not all work alike and that general
rules are to be regarded with suspicion until found really applicable to
the particular case.
Aside from service, these data may be of some passing interest to
writers, critics and editors in general.