Friday, September 02, 2005
Where do story ideas come from?
This is a question writers encounter often. Where do their ideas for stories come from? It's a question they may ask themselves when facing a deadline and paralyzed by writers block.
I've gotten most of my ideas for stories while watching movies and TV episodes, reading single-paragraph summaries of other stories, and odd news articles on the Internet. Oh, yes, and songs. I love the evocativeness of song lyrics. So much emotion, and ultimately that's what stories must evoke in order to impact readers. "Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait," Charles Dickens said.
Other writers draw their ideas from a variety of sources. For instance, Brandilyn Collins built her women's fiction novel Color the Sidewalk for Me from a childhood memory. Francine Rivers' stories often come to her as a result of a personal issue or a Bible passage. This article by Chip Scanlan discusses the value of old newspapers--including weather forecasts and classified ads--for gleaning story material.
The principle is the same: ideas come from what someone pays attention to. The certain something they pay attention to sparks an emotion, no matter how slight. And an idea is born. It works with everyone. Paying attention does not mean clamping onto an idea like a vise, until the mind turns numb from the exertion. No, paying attention implies consistency and activity and the energy of motion. Keep the mind focused but flexible at the same time.
The ideas will come.
I've gotten most of my ideas for stories while watching movies and TV episodes, reading single-paragraph summaries of other stories, and odd news articles on the Internet. Oh, yes, and songs. I love the evocativeness of song lyrics. So much emotion, and ultimately that's what stories must evoke in order to impact readers. "Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait," Charles Dickens said.
Other writers draw their ideas from a variety of sources. For instance, Brandilyn Collins built her women's fiction novel Color the Sidewalk for Me from a childhood memory. Francine Rivers' stories often come to her as a result of a personal issue or a Bible passage. This article by Chip Scanlan discusses the value of old newspapers--including weather forecasts and classified ads--for gleaning story material.
The principle is the same: ideas come from what someone pays attention to. The certain something they pay attention to sparks an emotion, no matter how slight. And an idea is born. It works with everyone. Paying attention does not mean clamping onto an idea like a vise, until the mind turns numb from the exertion. No, paying attention implies consistency and activity and the energy of motion. Keep the mind focused but flexible at the same time.
The ideas will come.
