I get a lot of inspiration by getting words I like and putting two together.

e.g. I like the word Feather and I also like the word Time.

Time, Feather. Feather, Time...mmm. Feathering time? The Feathers of Time.

Makes me think about a small bird that somehow lets people travel through time. One man catches and imprisons it in a cage...etc.

I thought it would fun and perhaps inspiring for people to list words that they like in sets of two.

Before listing your word sets, though you should do a two or three sentence quick idea based one word set given by someone else. It should be an idea you are prepared to let go of...Keep it fairly loose, so someone else can grow it properly.

If anyone is sparked (to write a story) by any word-set given, or the couple of sentences that evolved from some of them perhaps they could post something to that effect.

My word sets:

Silk-Laughter.

Spiral-Time.

Stellar-Footstep

Viral-Trader

Silk is often identified with the high-class. It is used for expensive upholstery and clothing, soft to the touch, and a strong fiber.

Laughter is a response to many stimuli. It can be a response to touch, humor, or uncomfortable situations.

Silk-Laughter, silk-like laughter, laughter of silk, a silky laugh(?): all identify a type of laughter that would be considered cultured or well-mannered. This type of laugh may happen in the presence of the social elite. It's the response to something that makes you want to slap your knee and guffaw like an orangutan. In better judgment, you stifle this outburst with a polite chuckle. A silk laugh.

The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise reeled in mock turbulence.

Silk laughter might come from a beautiful but shallow, sad siren.

3.5 Billion years ago, alien nomads, on a camping trip stopped on a lifeless yet watery planet to flush their septic tanks.

flatulent-reply
cannibal-kiss
crucifix-rubber
homeschool-burden
chiton-cell

I keep a notebook of what I call my "Spares". Quick-fix kinda things to help me do some mental warm-ups or help me get back on the road when I've had a mental flat tire. This is too fun and too revealing. It will definately make it in the book.

Do you mind if I take a few of these for a spin? Just to see how they feel rolling off the curser?

She barked silk laughter, stroked his chin, and overwhelemed him with a deep, battle kiss. Her eyes wer deep wells of mock turbulence and he knew this was nothing more than another ploy of the alpha degenerate.

Oh yeah, I'm definately digging the way it triggers the mind to specific imagry. It's sort of like giving your word a sub-genre.

mine are going to be:
Trojan-Nuance
Factory-Childhood
Leather-Schedule

I thought Catholic-Rubber to be an ironic combination, maybe so far as an oxymoron.

I'm curious now. Can't we build some kind of generator here? Figure out some key words for the second blank for really killer compound words?

A few bricks I thought of for the foundation of this machine would be:
________-lifestyle (tofu, tattoo, fast food, minivan)
________- morale (dictator, trash collector, soda shop)
________-appearance (Home Shopping Network, Thrift Store, Avon catalouge)
________- attention span (for me, the word in the first blank would be black lab puppy)
________- dream (Community College, Broken China, Trailer Park)