Starting Out

Most aspiring authors have at least one substantial story idea under their belt, and they sit with that story for years, writing and perfecting it until they are certain it’s complete. However, once that story is done, they often fall into a creative slump, asking themselves, “What if that’s the only story idea I’ll ever get?” Well, that doesn’t have to be the case. If these writers can get themselves into the right headspace, they will soon find that they have more story ideas than they know what to do with.

Finding Ideas Through Silence

Oftentimes, the best ideas come when everything is quiet and distractions are limited. Fresh ideas spring to me while I’m driving for long periods of time, trying to fall asleep at night, doing household chores, and completing anything else that requires relative silence and minimal brain power. With nothing else to focus on, my brain often starts to form its own worlds without me even trying. So, the next time you’re folding a load of laundry or taking a shower, allow your mind to wander. What comes of those little moments of silence can be extraordinary.

Letting Life Create Ideas

Another way to create story concepts is by being observant as go about your everyday life. When I was in college, I once came up with a short story idea because, while driving to my class, I saw a teddy bear sitting on someone’s porch. It can truly be that simple.

Taking it a step further, some authors choose to “people watch” whenever they have the chance, sitting down in a public place and taking notes as they observe the shuffle of people around them. This method can feel a little intrusive at first, like you’re eavesdropping on other people’s lives, but it can also be extraordinarily effective.

Fighting Creativity with Creativity

One of my favorite places to find my next great novel is through experiencing other people’s stories. I watch television, read books, and listen to music. The important thing to note when following this method, though, is that your goal should never be to steal whatever story you’re already reading. Inspiration and plagiarism are two very separate things. When something inspires you, it is a springboard for your imagination, becoming an original thought all on its own. However, if you’re plagiarizing something, you are reading it with the intent of telling the exact story in precisely the same way. Let’s say you’re reading Twilight, for example. Inspiration from this book may cause you to think of your own vampire magic system with unique rules, such as vampires being forced to drink a certain blood type. On the other hand, if you were to steal this book, you would be writing a vampire novel in which all your vampires have skin that glistens in the sunlight. That’s already been done, and you know it.

Retaining Ideas

Having a great idea is always the first step; retaining it is the second. It can be rather discouraging when a revolutionary idea springs to your mind, you’re about ready to write the story, and—it’s gone. You can’t for the life of you remember what that incredible idea was. Although there are times when this experience is inevitable, there are ways to mitigate it. The easiest technique is to always have either a notebook or the notes app on your phone handy. If you’re at work, you might consider keeping a pad of sticky notes nearby. This way, you can quickly jot down an idea, shove the note in your pocket, and review it later. However, I do not recommend any of these methods when you’re driving. If you absolutely must write the idea down, pull over to do so. Alternatively, when you have a passenger in the car, you can ask them to takes notes for you.

Writing Intelligible Notes

When writing story notes, it’s important to include every detail you may need. After you’ve sat for hours forming a story, you might assume that you’ll remember what your tiny, unspecific note was about. Let me be the first to tell you that you’re probably wrong. Don’t be vague. I have some pretty tiny, scribbled ideas of my own, and I cannot for the life of me make out what they mean. Among the ranks of these notes are “Across the River” and “Nomad.” Allow me to apologize to my past self, but I have no idea what either of those stories are supposed to be about. So, dear reader, if you don’t want to end up in the same situation, write notes you are sure you’ll understand. Here’s an example:

To jot this idea down, I started with a short, descriptive title, and I continued with a one-sentence story concept. Now, I can look at that note and jog my memory. Perfect! This is much more helpful than “Nomad.”

Don’t Try to Force It

The worst method I’ve ever used to come up with story ideas is trying to force them on myself. In these situations, I always beat myself up over every second that passes without an idea. It only stifles my creativity, thus making me less likely to accomplish my task.

Additionally, don’t go searching for your story idea on the internet once it’s come to you. Chances are, someone has already thought of some semblance of what you’re planning to write, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to write the same story. In fact, unless you’re trying to copy them, the situation is incredibly improbable. For anyone doubtful, I challenge you to hand the same writing prompt to two separate authors. I can guarantee they’ll write you two very different stories.

Writing the Story

Once you’ve finally landed on a storyline you are itching to tell, the next logical step is to start plotting it out and writing it. Of course, this is much easier said then done. Next week, I’ll lay out the steps I take when crafting a new novel or short story. For now, I challenge all my readers to allow creativity to take hold of them, even for a mere moment. From there, you will all become unstoppable.