Thinking up original plots

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I have a very difficult time with this. It seems that all the plots I can come up with are simple, derivative ones like "heroes go on quest to retrieve object or fight bad guys". What helps people design complex, original plotlines for stories?

For thinking of a original plot, look into those who already exist.
General information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_%28narrative%29

Deception, misdirection or suggestion by the writer makes plots more complex.
Also plottwists and several plot lines instead of just one line.

Hope it helps!

Cheerfully,
Wallourdes

You need to read a lot of different stories. When I was younger I read a lot of science fiction, and tracked down the most literate stories I could. Don't waste time reading trash. Phillip Jose Farmer wrote a book, "The Unreasoning Mask" that is almost impossible to summarize. Read some HP Lovecraft stories, they're not heavy on plot, but they do go off inn ver odd directions.

I often look to music for inspiration, and somehow imagine plots while I'm listening to it. This works best when the music is foreign, though...

Read James Campbell's 'The Hero With a Thousand Faces.'

Its all about the recurring motifs that turn up over and over throughout religious mythology and fiction from time immemorial. As Campbell points out, there are only a handful of story ideas to be had, everything else is just variations on those themes and recombinations of the same basic archetypes. Campbell's ideas about these archetypal characters and interrelationships were George Lucas' inspiration for Star Wars. That's why so much of the plot of SW resembles classic Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology. But the ideas can be reinterpreted in any context, or any time period or setting, and they still work dynamically.

Read Philip K. Dick. He was original and entertaining at the same time. Lead by his example.

You can look for inspiration in history. Real life got more inspiration that any writer.

I like to write too. Think of something based off your own life. Find something that fascinates you. If you plan on doing a cliche' plot, do it in an original way. Often people do mirror/parellel/alternate worlds where everything was better, but soon becomes worse. You could do something like that only like "imagine your life without aspergers/autism/whatever". I planned on doing that.