All the computers I've used in the past 24 hours have eaten most of what I've typed for anything, so meh. But anyhoo!
Yes, you read correctly. Myspace is good. For those of us that have access and permission to use it, myspace is a wealth of ideas just waiting to be tapped into.
For example, have you ever looked at a friend's page and gone "How the heck does he/she know that person??" I know I have. When I got back from camp last week, I went around myspae trying to find all the CITs and all my new friends so we could attempt to keep in touch. On Paul's site (ah, don't we all love fake names?), I found another friend I haven't seen in a few years: Michael. I sat there, stumped as to how they knew each other. So, I started speculating. Maybe they met at a band review via a mutual friend? They used to live next door to each other. Of course, they go to the same school. No, really. And I was like.. whoa. How slow am I?
Then I looked at my page, and had to wonder how many people thought it weird I had Jack on there, or Arvy, or Tara or Nai. And not only that, talk to them, and I had to wonder how people thought we knew each other. And I'm pretty certain only a few would've come up with a writing site. Pen Pals, maybe? Family? A friend that moved? Or maybe I moved. Endless possibilities.
Another fun game, rather related? Play six degrees, myspace style. Start with yourself or a friend. Go to a random person on their friends' list, and do the same for five other people. So, let's say I start with Mine, go to Jack's, then find Mandy's, go to (ok, now made up), John's, then Suzie's, and finally Travis. Now, what are the odds these people all know each other? How did John meet Suzie or Mandy? Do any of the friends overlap? And Whammo! Story material. Relationships of who knows who and how, possibilities of locations.
The best part? The profile! It has interests, likes/dislikes, and conversations with friends! This can help build a character, flesh out a character, give some back round, you name it, you can probably find it.
Sound stalkerish? Not at all! If a person doesn't set their profile to private, it's open, basically.* So, get to it! Learn about other people, and take that knowledge and use it for writing!
*If anyone's curious, it's under account settings, then privacy settings, down at the bottom of the page.
Gender:
Points: 3941
Reviews: 488