I posted this response to a similar question in another forum ( www.zoetrope.com ), but I thought I'd repost it here just in case someone finds it of any help - here's my current (and pretty unscientific) method for ideas.
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I'd like to know how others do this as well - it's something I've been struggling with lately, but here's something I've been experimenting with - I've resorted to picking objects from the room I'm in and trying to connect them, i.e.:
Denver Broncos cup from McDonald's
First-person shooter computer game I dug out
Pizza box
So maybe I get the idea for a story about two cops who are assigned to investigate the murder of a professional football player. He was murdered by the pizza guy (who was really a hit-man). The police have no definite motive, but word is he was involved in gambling and held some pretty heavy debt. The cops have to go undercover somehow to expose a gambling/corruption ring that reaches far into the NFL...blah...blah - I know, cheesy, but you get the picture. It's a train-of-thought method.
You could use a phone book yellow pages as well - just flip it open and slam your finger down on five different pages - where your finger lands, try to incorporate that item.
Of course as you piece it together, some items may fall out and make no sense to be replaced by better ideas that pop into your head - if something sounds better, use it - but that's kind of the point - to get your thoughts flowing.
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