October 27, 2010

Ever stumped for new ideas? When I started my last new book, I noticed during the plotting process that I was short on fresh ideas. I had used up many of the ideas collected over the years and stashed in my “Idea Notebook.”

While one interesting idea might be enough for a very short story, books take LOTS of intriguing ideas. You need ideas for quirky characters, ideas for many unusual plot twists, ideas for great secondary characters, and unusual places for settings (even when that setting is your home town).

Ideas Everywhere!

It’s good to write down the ideas that come to you out of the blue (in the shower, when you first awake, on a walk, etc.) But sometimes you need good ideas faster than that. You need LOTS of ideas, and you need them soon. Where are some good places to find them?

1) Get a stack of old magazines, either your own or the stacks given away or traded at most public libraries. Flip through each magazine very quickly. If something catches your eye (unusual photo, funny advertisement, interesting headline, local event), tear out that page. Skim articles–don’t read in depth at this point. That can come later when you put your ideas together.

2) Because many of us spend a lot of time online, also keep a computer version of an Idea File. You can have sub-files labeled “characters” or “themes” or “events,” if you like. But when you are reading the news online or you click on one of those weird-sounding Google ads and come across something odd or funny or quirky, copy and paste the story into your computer Idea File. Also store the URL (the web address where you found the idea.) Remember that URLs can disappear, so copy and paste the pertinent details. Just make it a habit to have your Idea File open when you’re surfing the web, then drop the interesting tidbits you find into the file, and watch it grow!

3) Lie down and try taking a ten-minute nap. Just close your eyes and relax. You might actually fall asleep, but I never do. The minute I try to relax and take a short power nap, my busy mind kicks into gear. All kinds of ideas surface, the kinds that make you get up and write them down before you forget them.

4) This won’t sound like a pleasant way to spend time, but a good idea generator is to make a list of “The things I hate…” List the most annoying people, annoying habits or annoying anythings in your life. Annoying people make great antagonists, annoying habits add character depth to all your characters (including your hero), and annoying events give you plots to write about (and things for your hero to overcome.) The added “plus” in writing about things that annoy or disturb you is that you’ll write with passion. It will help you stick to your writing schedule, and the passion will come through in a more powerful story.

5) Explore words! Just for fun! Read the dictionary or thesaurus. Five minutes of this, and you’ll generate more ideas than you can imagine.

Feelers Out!

Try to get into the habit of always having your antennae up and alert for ideas. They’re everywhere. Then go one step further and capture the ideas for later writing. Oh, you’ll be glad you did!

What other places and ways have YOU found to be helpful in finding ideas?

 

5 Comments »

1. 

   I find that traveling to new places gives me fresh ideas,even if it’s just taking a road I’ve never been down before. I’m currently working on a manuscript that was inspired by a trip to the beach.

   Comment by Vicki Spivey — October 27, 2010 @ 8:44 am

2. 

   Oooh, I’ve never tried ‘things I hate’!

   Want ads, obituaries … cemeteries are the best places to go for walks. And my favorite: people watching.

   Comment by Vijaya — October 27, 2010 @ 8:54 am

3. 

   Looking at old photo albums can stir up ideas.

   Comment by Trudy — October 27, 2010 @ 6:44 pm

4. 

   Eavesdropping is a good one, too. I often get ideas while researching on a different project. For example, I was researching animal weapons for one book, and got an idea for a completely different animal book. I also get ideas while reading books to my children.

   Comment by Christie Wild — October 31, 2010 @ 10:07 am

5. 

   Wow! These are all terrific ideas! I will add them to my list, and I know other blog readers will too. It really helps to pool our ideas–some things can sound so obvious, but I never thought of reading obits or want ads!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — October 31, 2010 @ 6:32 pm

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