THE UNEXPECTED IN THE EVERYDAY
Lynnette Jalufka
Ever notice that ideas can come when doing the most mundane chores? Washing dishes, folding laundry, or general housework can spark the next story. I came up with some cool scenes when I cleaned out horse stalls. Doing these mindless activities helps free my mind so new ideas can float inside. That doesn’t mean I’m excited to do the next load of laundry, but you never know if an idea is hiding around the washing machine, waiting to burst forth.
More Idea Origins
by Adam Huddleston
As I’ve said before, I get a lot of my story ideas from places I’ve visited on while I’m on the road. Other idea-starters are things that I hear.
One of my favorite (unfinished) projects began years ago when one of my children wanted to play on my phone. My wife told them they couldn’t because “Daddy’s battery is dead”. She obviously meant my phone battery, but a story began to immediately gel in my brain about a future when all fathers are androids. When said parental unit’s battery dies, the mother simply orders another from a catalog. In this tale, the dying father unit’s artificial intelligence kicks in and he discovers that he doesn’t want to be replaced. Thrills and violence galore.
So, sometimes a truly interesting story can find its origins in a rather mundane statement. A good writer will pay attention to everything around them and use their environment as inspiration.
Happy writing!
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
Lynnette Jalufka
Ideas can form just by listening to music. Many classical pieces, especially symphonic poems, already tell a story. You can use elements from them. I have a plan for a future novel which is based on various parts of a symphonic poem: a hunt, a wedding, and a castle. Or you may imagine something totally different than what the composer had in mind.
This isn’t limited to instrumental pieces. Even song lyrics can spark an idea. So, go ahead. Listen to the music. See where it leads you.
A snapshot in a time of your life
Rory C. Keel
To find a story idea, think of a snapshot of time in your own life.
No, I’m not talking about writing a memoir piece, but using something we all have — a snapshot in time.
We all have those brief moments in life when we see something out of the ordinary, an event, or an interaction between people or things that make us pause for a brief second. Those snapshots of time are story ideas.
Perhaps you heard someone’s voice and wondered who they were speaking to and what did they mean. A story Idea!
Think back in your mind to the last time something caught you off guard, and you thought, I wonder what that was about?
Now make up a story!
The universe is against you—just so you know.
Natalie Bright
Ideas are everywhere, if you can learn to recognize them. And then the stories in your head won’t go away. Once you acknowledge to yourself that you have a passion for writing, the universe will seemingly turn against you. There has been a story lurking inside you and if you’re like most of us, probably your whole life, and this will be the hardest work you have ever done.
Here are some tips to push aside the static in your life and stay on track with your writing.
My co-authors and I were at a recent event selling books. A poet stopped by our booth. Typical of most writers, he’d had a story scrambling his brain his entire life. We encourage him to pursue that dream. Now is the time!
Be open to the ideas around you. Listen to your gut. It’s never been easier to realize a publishing dream. There are so many options and people out there to help you make it happen.
LOOK TO THE PAST
Lynnette Jalufka
I love history. I like learning about how people lived centuries ago. There are so many intriguing stories that have inspired my future novels. I got one for a trilogy based on a fear mentioned in a historical fiction. (Warning: don’t take a detail mentioned in a historical novel to be fact. Do your research. No book is 100% accurate. That’s why it’s called fiction.)
Even if you don’t write historical fiction, you can still get ideas from the past. Technology and cultures have changed, but people have not. They still have the same emotions and desires as today. See what you can find.
Where Do Ideas Come From?
by Adam Huddleston
Ah. The ultimate question for all writers. The granddaddy of them all. Where do ideas come from? Where can I go to get inspired to write? How do the literary greats get their works started?
The answer, I suppose, differs from writer to writer. In fact, I’m sure there are as many answers to that desperate question as there are writers in the world. Where do I get my ideas from? I’ll tell you. But remember, this is coming from an author with only a handful (and small at that) of published works.
I get my ideas from what I see around me. For example, although I eat better now, I used to spend quite a lot of time in fast food drive-thrus. A few of my story starters arise from there. Also, the eight-hour drive to visit family in east Texas (when the kiddos are actually quiet, and I can think straight) provides many opportunities to create story ideas. I have two or three tales that center on interstate travel. One about a ghost that haunts a specific exit ramp, the other about a man hired to clean off roadkill.
Other ideas come from things I hear, whether while at work or from my family at home. My next few blogs will center on those.
Happy writing!
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, SORT OF
Lynnette Jalufka
I am currently working on a short story for an upcoming collection. The idea was born out of several life experiences. It contains an old western movie I love, my background in horse shows, and a heartbreaking decision I made. However, I’ve never participated in the events my characters go through in the story. It will take some research to make this tale come alive.
One of writing’s famous rules is “Write what you know.” When looking for ideas, use your own experience. What do you like to do? What scenarios can you brainstorm happening from your work, your hobbies, or your family? See what combinations you can put together.
But what if you want to write about Victorian England and all you know is life on a Texas ranch? Should you abandon the idea? No. It called research. You may need a little or a lot depending on the topic, but just because you aren’t familiar with it doesn’t mean you give up. If it’s something you’re passionate about, you can write it.
The rule should read: “Write what you know. Learn what you don’t.”
POSTCARDS FROM THE MUSE
Look Around
By Nandy Eke
Stephen King once said he is asked constantly where his ideas come from. His answer is he doesn’t know. He mentions “the guys in the basement,” which is his description of a muse. He says he plays a lot of “what if” games that lead to the stories.
I agree with this to some extent. I play the “what if” game myself, and I get some interesting answers. But the stories I’ve written that I like most are the ones I can tell you exactly when the idea gelled.
Some of that has to do with what’s happening around me when the idea starts to grow. I’ve seen the moon look like a giant eye in the sky. I pass an old abandoned gas station every morning on my way to the day job, and there’s always a car or pick-up sitting in the old parking lot. I don’t know why it’s there. The person inside wears a big cowboy hat and is always alone.
One morning I went to the office and saw a pair of ladies pumps sitting in the alley. The shoes were white fabric with big flowers printed all over them. They were standing next to my office driveway as if some lady had just stepped out of them.
There’s a famous quote that says we pass 5,000 story ideas every day. An author will see 20 of them. Tell me in the comments below what story ideas you noticed today.
Congratulations. You have just received a postcard from the muse.
tag words: Stephen King, pump shoes, pick-up trucks, nandyekle.com, Nandy Ekle, wordsmithsix.com
Active Writing cultivates new Material.
Rory C. Keel
As a writer do you struggle to find new material to write?
For me, ideas often come to mind when I am actively writing as if one idea sprouts from another. As my story moves along, writing one sentence after the next, a scene will unfold unlocking a previous thought. Occasionally a secret door in that scene will open showing me an object or a thought that feels out of place and doesn’t fit. These are what I call my story seeds, seeds for another project.
Story Seeds
Story seeds are small bits of information that emerge in your thoughts. They can be simple objects like a single red sock hung on a clothesline: why is it blowing in the wind as if forgotten, or was it intentional and a signal for someone? Maybe an animal such as a small brown dog runs through your thoughts while you write. Why is he alone? Does he have a master? These story seeds may be a specific place you’ve never been before or a mysterious person that suddenly emerges in your mind and then vanishes. When these items appear, I quickly record them to use in a future piece.
Make a List
Make a list in a small pocket notebook or journal of story seeds when they happen. When you struggle to find something to write, use the list to spark a story. Ask when, where, who, what and how about each item on the list to generate the next story.
Make your list!
Rory C. Keel
Wordsmith Six 