If you find yourself groping for a theme you may take this as a fair piece of advice, simple as it sounds: “You can write about anything which has been vivid enough to cause you to comment upon it.” If a situation has caught your attention to that extent, it has meaning for you, and if you can find what that meaning is you have the basis for a story.
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The conclusion should be plain. If you want to stimulate yourself into writing, amuse yourself in wordless ways. Instead of going to a theater, hear a symphony orchestra, or go by yourself to a museum; go alone for long walks, or ride by yourself on a bus-top. If you will conscientiously refuse to talk or read you will find yourself compensating for it to your great advantage.
