Here's a little exercise to give you some momentum now that 2012 is upon us. Take a random selection of five objects: on my desk at the moment I have a diary, a CD, a photograph of somebody acting dead, a letter from a friend I have lost touch with and the access card to my online bank account -- I think they provide a pretty interesting mix. Spend a little time contemplating your objects to see if they suggest some kind of story to you. As your ideas start to gel, draft out a rough plot, but don't start writing yet.
Now go back to your five objects and think again. Imagine another situation/story, different from the first one you came up with, using different characters and different incidents. Draft that out into a rough plot.
Finally (sorry if this is starting to sound like a recipe, the literary equivalent of put it in the oven at 175° for half an hour) graft your two stories together -- you might like to use one as the subplot and one as the main action, or alternatively decide to give them equal weight - but by knitting two strands up like this, you will devise a narrative of greater complexity and interest. When you are happy with the sequence of events, start writing....
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