They just *have* to know, don't they?

I mean, who makes a product called the Organic Batter Blaster without knowing what that suggests?

I'm getting motivated to write.

Largely because of a bit of advice I read on RPGnet: You are allowed to suck.

I primarily write poetry because many of the rules of literature that I perceive seem to be lifted- there need be no conflict per se. Grammar is largely swept aside in the interest of content.

My biggest issue, though, is that I worry I'll be... mundane. That the story I tell will just be a rehash of something already done.

How do you make a story stand out? What do you avoid? Where do you get your ideas? Where do you go to get published (I've already got leads on some magazines- I wonder if getting published online is any different)?

These are questions I've asked myself, that I now pose to those of you who write. I've made a resolution to at least submit a short story this year, among other pieces. I don't want someone to hold my hand, but an insider's view would be... appreciated.