New idea… new story?

I was in a shop I often visit, just looking around and I had a sudden idea for a new story… I don’t know what inspired me… well I do, actually. As I was drifting around I bumped into a friend and we sat down to have a chat and a catch-up. For some reason I remembered seeing one of the shop assistants outside the shop, just on the street, doing some chore, going about their own business and I had thought how interesting it is to see someone out of their normal context. I don’t ‘know’ the assistant, they wouldn’t recognize me, hundreds, thousands of people must go through the shop.

As I was talking to my friend I had an idea… I am interested in real life stories, missing people, stalkers, new people who come into a circle of friends, innocent actions which have unexpected consequences. As I was chatting, a story began to present itself. A person, not sure whether it will be a man or a woman,  has a secret ‘admirer’… and again not sure whether the secret admire will be a man or a woman. Nothing at all happens until one day, the admirer sees the object of their interest out of their usual context… and follows him or her. What will happen after that I have no idea. Will the admirer see something compromising, dangerous or criminal? Will the admirer just find out where the admiree lives, or where their children go to school or where their partner works? I cannot tell, but this will probably develop as I write, and plan and write.

This was not the only idea which came to me; supposing I conceal from the reader who the admirer/stalker is? Supposing there is a group of friends and one of the group is the admirer/stalker but I write it in such a way that it could be any one of several of the group, and only towards the end reveal the truth… Should the stalker be innocent or malign? Should the stalker remain a passive observer of the ‘victim’s’ life or should he or she become involved in some way… and should the involvement be helpful and kind or dangerous and sinister? Should the admirer’s originally innocent interest in an attractive other remain just a kindly and slightly silly secret fantasy, or should it develop into something not so innocent? Which would be more original and unexpected? Which would intrigue the reader more? Which would lead to the best and most satisfactory conclusion of the story?

This story will simmer for a long time before it gets written; it may only be part of another story, but at some point it will emerge and it will be interesting to see how it changes form my original thoughts and inspiration!