Mix & Match

  1. Pick a description from Column A such as “ugly,” “creative,” “brave,” etc. Turn that word into the ultimate expression of that description: “ugliest,” “most creative,” “bravest.”
  2. Pick a profession from Box B such as “astronaut,” “soccer coach,” “school teacher,” etc.
  3.  Set the timer on your iPhone (of course you have an iPhone) for five minutes.
  4. Without stopping to think, crank out a story idea for the “somethingest character” you just randomly invented. The “ugliest blacksmith” or the “most fearful pilot.”
  5. Do this two more times, with two more character combinations.
  6. Congratulations again! You just developed three ideas in fifteen minutes.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
Adorable

Adventurous

Aggressive

Agreeable

Alert

Amused

Angry

Annoyed

Anxious

Arrogant

Ashamed

Attractive

Average

Awful

Bad

Beautiful

Bewildered

Black

Bloody

Blue

Blue-eyed

Blushing

Bored

Brave

Bright

Calm

Charming

Cheerful

Clean

Clear

Cloudy

Clumsy

Colorful

Comfortable

Condemned

Confused

Cooperative

Courageous

Crazy, flipped-out

Creepy

Crowded

Cruel

Cute

Dangerous

Dark

Defeated

Delightful

Depressed

Determined

Disgusted

Distinct

Disturbed

Dizzy

Drab

Dull

Eager

Elated

Elegant

Embarrassed

Enchanting

Encouraging

Energetic

Enthusiastic

Envious

Evil

Excited

Exuberant

Fair

Faithful

Fancy

Fantastic

Fierce

Filthy

Fine

Foolish

Frantic

Friendly

Frightened

Funny

Gentle

Glorious

Good

Grieving

Grumpy

Happy

Healthy

Helpful

Helpless

Hilarious

Homeless

Hungry

Hurt

Ill

Jealous

Jittery

Jolly

Lazy

Lively

Lonely

Lovely

Lucky

Mysterious

Nasty

Naughty

Nervous

Nice

Nutty

Obedient

Obnoxious

Panicky

Perfect

Pleasant

Proud

Repulsive

Scary

Selfish

Silly

Smiling

Successful

Tense

Terrible

Thoughtful

Thoughtless

Troubled

Upset

Uptight

Victorious

Weary

Wicked

Witty

Worried

Accountant

Actor

Actuary

Agricultural and Food Scientist

Anthropologist

Architect

Archivist

Artist

Astronomer

Astronaut

Automotive Mechanic

Baker

Banker

Barber

Beautician

Blacksmith

Bum

Bus Driver

Car Designer

Carpenter

Cashier

Chef

Chemist

Childcare Worker

Chiropractor

Choreographer

Civil Engineer

Clerk

Coach

Computer Hardware Engineer

Computer Software Engineer

Computer Support Specialist

Cost Estimator

Court Reporter

Curator

Dancer

Database Administrator

Dental Hygienist

Dental Laboratory Technician

Dentist

Dermatologist

Designer

Desktop Publisher

Dietician

Disc Jockey

Doctor

Drafter

Drummer

Economist

Electrical Engineer

Electrician

Engineering Technician

Environmental Scientist

Farm Manager

Farmer

Film directors

Financial Analyst

Firefighter

Fisherman

Flight Attendant

Funeral Director

Hotel Desk Clerk

Human Resources Assistant

Interviewer

Investigator

Jeweler

Judge

Kindergarten Teacher

King

Landscape Architect

Lawyer

Librarian

Loan Officer

Mailman

Mathematician

Midwife

Mortician

Musician

Nurse

Optometrist

Orchestra Conductor

Painter

Paralegal

Paramedic

Payroll Clerk

Pediatrician

Pharmacist

Photographer

Physicist

Pilot

Plumber

Police Officer

Politician

Prince

Princess

Private Detective

Professional Athlete

Psychologist

Public Relations Manager

Queen

Real Estate Agent

Receptionist

Recreation and Fitness Worker

Recreational Therapist

Reporter

Roofer

Sailor

School Teacher

Seamstress

Secretary

Security Guard

Singer

Social Worker

Soccer Coach

Statistician

Surgeon

Surveyor

Systems Analyst

Tailor

Tax Inspector

Taxi Driver

Teacher

Therapist

Translator

Travel Clerk

Truck Driver

University Lecturer

Urban planner

Veterinarian

Violinist

Webmaster

Wedding Planner

Writer

Zookeeper