Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers
What Do You Do For Ideas When Writing?
Recently, I look back at the stories I've never finished and for more than half of them, I'm thinking to myself "How Cliche!"
So, I have a delimma. How do I get new, unqiue ideas for writing something I can be fully committed to? I want to post a story, a good one that people will actually read, on Wattpad.com and one on here, but I have no ideas!
The question I would like for you to answer is simple!
1.) Where do your ideas come from? Like, do you go on google and type in "Story prompts?" Or what?
Mucho Appreciato :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Geoff Hall on
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Hi Brooklynn,
Well I'd say what matters to you most? Why do you want to write? What do you feel most passionate about, that you feel others need to read about?
Best Wishes,
Geoff
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Permalink Reply by Callie Leah on
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You pose an intriguing question, one that I'm sure every writer asks at one point or another!!
Well I personally may not have the best method, but for me, most of my ideas come from my own experiences or desires!
Take Saturday for example! I was at a party playing laser tag in a dark (black-lighted) room and they had competitive music playing, and I couldn't help but develop thoughts of a character, shoved into a fight with strangers (because I only knew three other people!) and having her own personality rejected by her desire to stay alive, and how she...well, if that ever becomes a published book (which I doubt) I wouldn't want to ruin the end! Granted, that sounds too much like Hunger Games for my taste, but there are a million things I could do to make it nothing like that at all.
In another one of my stories, there's a young girl living in a small town in 16th century England. Many of the experiences she has in the book are ones I would love to happen to me in real life!
If you also have ever found anything that interests you, you can find inspiration like that! For example, I have a friend who is writing a fictionalization of the life of Anne Bonnie, a rather intriguing person in my opinion! She lived a very book-worthy life and that's just what my friend is helping to do! I have another friend writing a story with inspiration she got from a rather creepy (but totally interesting back-story wise) song sung by Vocaloid called "Trick and Treat."
Those are just my own personal experiences, but that's generally how I and my friends get inspiration! Hope I helped! :)
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Permalink Reply by scribbler on
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Good to see you, Brooklynn! :) You know where's great for getting your mind ticking? Stumbleupon and its Explore feature.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/explore/
It's guaranteed to have you bouncing (or stumbling!) all over the web to sites you may never have found on your own if you'd stuck with a standard Google search. If you really want to stretch your brain, go for an interest that has a bizarre side. I think cryptozoology's fascinating and this is the first page it turned up for me.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/894HQx/forgetomori.com/2007/criptozoo...
If you don't join Stumbleupon-it's free- and save any good stuff you find, remember to bookmark it.
P.S.I'm guessing you like creative writing prompts-there are literally hundreds here- http://creativewritingprompts.com/
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Permalink Reply by Cleveland W. Gibson on
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One book gave me many ideas. That was 'The Seventh Sword' by Andrew Collins.
Another way is to get out more. Use your notebook. Watch films. That sort of thing helps with ideas.
Best wishes
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Permalink Reply by Lorelai B. on
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Honestly, I always seem to reach my best ideas just as I'm falling asleep. Unfortunately, that requires that I drag my tired ass out of bed, find my pad of paper, and jot down, what I'm convinced will be, an idea for a great novel. But, truth be told, I never can will myself to get up, so, if I actually remember my idea by morning, and it's still as great as I thought it was the night before, I write it down. Having said all that, I'll admit that many odd ideas come to me as I'm falling asleep, as I think is the case with most people. And, when you're that tired, cognitive reasoning isn't always on your side. Never the less, I seem to come to my best conclusions as I'm about to sleep. Personally, I think it's because my mind is not focused, as it is during my more alert hours, and I've allowed my mind to open up, producing more creative thoughts than I normally would. During the day, the more I focus on creativity, the more difficult it is to reach that realm.
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Permalink Reply by W.J. O'Neil on
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Hi Brooklynn. For me its the "what" word. I'm not sure how much it applies to others but for me it works. For example, What if there were alternate realms-what would they be like? or What type of character might make a child laugh? or What if there were vampires among us? What would their life be like? I find that the "what" word takes the imagination of life all around us to endless possibilities. Another thing I do is to jot down everything and anything that strikes me with respect to a story idea. I can always fill in the what later on.
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Permalink Reply by Linda Page Wickens on
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I sit and listen...go to the mall, sit and listen to conversations. Always have a pad of paper or talk into my cell phone feature that I can dictate into. For me, more often than not...I'll pick up a word or two or expression in thought, write it down and it ignites my thought process. Walk away from the computer at home during a brain freeze, and either get fresh air to awaken it, or even watch TV. Someone will either express a thought or I'll hear a word or two that'll pop into my mind that I can use. Relax...
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Permalink Reply by Brooklynn Macey Derryberry on
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I've never really thought about it like that before! Thanks!
Geoff Hall said:Hi Brooklynn,
Well I'd say what matters to you most? Why do you want to write? What do you feel most passionate about, that you feel others need to read about?
Best Wishes,
Geoff
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I;ve never thought about it like that before! I wish i could be that creative!!
Callie Leah said:You pose an intriguing question, one that I'm sure every writer asks at one point or another!!
Well I personally may not have the best method, but for me, most of my ideas come from my own experiences or desires!
Take Saturday for example! I was at a party playing laser tag in a dark (black-lighted) room and they had competitive music playing, and I couldn't help but develop thoughts of a character, shoved into a fight with strangers (because I only knew three other people!) and having her own personality rejected by her desire to stay alive, and how she...well, if that ever becomes a published book (which I doubt) I wouldn't want to ruin the end! Granted, that sounds too much like Hunger Games for my taste, but there are a million things I could do to make it nothing like that at all.
In another one of my stories, there's a young girl living in a small town in 16th century England. Many of the experiences she has in the book are ones I would love to happen to me in real life!
If you also have ever found anything that interests you, you can find inspiration like that! For example, I have a friend who is writing a fictionalization of the life of Anne Bonnie, a rather intriguing person in my opinion! She lived a very book-worthy life and that's just what my friend is helping to do! I have another friend writing a story with inspiration she got from a rather creepy (but totally interesting back-story wise) song sung by Vocaloid called "Trick and Treat."
Those are just my own personal experiences, but that's generally how I and my friends get inspiration! Hope I helped! :)
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Those creative writing prompts were great! That stumbleupon is very helpful! Thank you!
scribbler said:Good to see you, Brooklynn! :) You know where's great for getting your mind ticking? Stumbleupon and its Explore feature.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/explore/
It's guaranteed to have you bouncing (or stumbling!) all over the web to sites you may never have found on your own if you'd stuck with a standard Google search. If you really want to stretch your brain, go for an interest that has a bizarre side. I think cryptozoology's fascinating and this is the first page it turned up for me.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/894HQx/forgetomori.com/2007/criptozoo...
If you don't join Stumbleupon-it's free- and save any good stuff you find, remember to bookmark it.
P.S.I'm guessing you like creative writing prompts-there are literally hundreds here- http://creativewritingprompts.com/
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I'm liking the get out more suggestion. It seems lately i've been cutoff form the world and people socially. Thank you !
Cleveland W. Gibson said:One book gave me many ideas. That was 'The Seventh Sword' by Andrew Collins.
Another way is to get out more. Use your notebook. Watch films. That sort of thing helps with ideas.
Best wishes
-
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I have ideas that come to me too! I used to write them down, but then when i look at it again in the morning i see how much it didn't make sense! Haha, Your thinking is very true about the unfocused mind!
Lorelai B. said:Honestly, I always seem to reach my best ideas just as I'm falling asleep. Unfortunately, that requires that I drag my tired ass out of bed, find my pad of paper, and jot down, what I'm convinced will be, an idea for a great novel. But, truth be told, I never can will myself to get up, so, if I actually remember my idea by morning, and it's still as great as I thought it was the night before, I write it down. Having said all that, I'll admit that many odd ideas come to me as I'm falling asleep, as I think is the case with most people. And, when you're that tired, cognitive reasoning isn't always on your side. Never the less, I seem to come to my best conclusions as I'm about to sleep. Personally, I think it's because my mind is not focused, as it is during my more alert hours, and I've allowed my mind to open up, producing more creative thoughts than I normally would. During the day, the more I focus on creativity, the more difficult it is to reach that realm.
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