Titles are not the only way to find inspiration in the books and movies that already exist. Movie posters and book covers provide a visual stimulation for your creative juices. Look through the shelves of your local book store until you find a cover that grabs your attention. Ignore the title, ignore the back copy and decide what story that image speaks to you.
The back cover can also give inspiration in the form of the story blurb. Obviously, you don’t want to steal their story idea, but something about the description might stand out and generate a unique concept of your own.
Here are five classic movie posters
Airplane (Plane tied in a knot)
Vertigo (Man in a spiral)
True Grit (Cowboy silhouette with eye patch)
Singing in the Rain (Three people wearing rain coats and umbrella)
The Shining (Twin girls blocking a hallway and boy on bigwheel)
Based on True Grit I generated the following pitch.
Cyber Eye – The eye always knows. Jake is a detective who doubles as a bounty hunter. Unfortunately, the bounty hunting business is booming. His cybernetic eye has made him the most sought after bounty hunter on the continent. Until he captures a criminal who claims to know where his dead wife is living.