Ideas Abound
By Barbara Hunter, N2Arts Correspondent
How to find something to write about
 

riters are some of the most creative people on the planet, but it doesn’t mean they always have an idea to write about. Ideas for stories can come from many places. They can come from school, work, friends, a favorite pet, or vacation you took when you were a kid. Story subjects can have their beginnings from a conversation with your parents over breakfast, or from a feeling inspired through a piece of art in a museum.

What is important for any aspiring writer is to keep writing. Write every day and as often as you can. Challenge yourself to write about subjects you wouldn’t ordinarily write about, just to see if you can do it. The following three exercises will get you started with your ideas. Don’t worry about perfection. Write what comes to mind and see where it takes you. Good Luck!

Exercise 1

Have you ever been an adventurous rock climber or a W.W.II fighter pilot in your dreams? Have you ever been chased by a horrific ghost? Then start writing! Some of the best story ideas can originate straight from the ideas generated in your dreams.

Here’s what to do: Keep a dream journal over the next week. As soon as you wake up, reach for the journal and write every detail of your dream that you can remember. After the week is over, find a quiet spot to review your journal. Look for ways to connect stories and thoughts. If something frightened you, consider it for an antagonist or setting for your story. Write at least two pages.

Exercise 2

Do you have a favorite song that you just can’t get out of your mind? Or is there a favorite musician that you really relate to? Then you have the makings of a story. Pick one of your all time favorite songs and write a story about it. It doesn’t have to follow the whole song. It can be one word, a line, or a theme that gives you the inspiration to write a short story or even a novel. Give it a try. Try it with a song you don’t like for an extra challenge. Write at least one page, then pick another song and try for two, and so forth.

Exercise 3

Have you ever wished you were there to witness the first gold rush? Or what about Stonehenge? Don’t you wish you could have been there when it was first made, so you would know what it was really there for? Have you ever secretly wished to be a cowboy or cowgirl working for the Pony Express? One way to inspire your creative thinking is by choosing an event that happened in history that you wish you were a part of. Start with a historical event and tell it from your perspective. Maybe you can put a new spin on the discovery of America. Try to write at least five pages.

All in all, keep writing! Look for ideas everywhere you go. Keep a writing journal and add to it anything that could be a potential story idea.

Barbara J. Hunter is a freelance writer, and screenwriter. Having traveled for a great portion of her life she has witnessed first hand the unique voice people have and has incorporated these messages in her writing.