Where Do I Get Story Ideas From
Where Do I Get Ideas For A Story?
A good idea is usually the basis of a story. Without an idea you probably don’t have a story to tell. The first question an author usually gets asked (after ‘How old are you?) is ‘Where do you get your ideas?’
Ideas come from anywhere, anytime, anything. This list is just a basic sample of where ideas can come from. Try one, try them all!
It’s not so common to get these now, but you may find a drawer full from years gone by. This also works well with old family photos, or photos of people you don’t know at all! Advertisements in magazines are great too.
Pick a postcard (or photo) with an interesting scene. It’s best if there’s a person in the picture, but okay if not.
Make up a new name for the location, a name for the person.
What were they doing just before the picture was taken/painted?
How do they feel right now?
What if you were suddenly in that picture too?
What if the person, animal or thing was suddenly in the room with you?
This one is easy. When you go out you’ll find a wealth of story ideas in the shopping malls, parks and anywhere that people gather. Stop for a few minutes, sit on a bench or lean against a wall and just watch the people around you. Be careful not to stare or be intrusive – nobody likes a nosy-parker!
Do this with a friend or just write down your observations.
Give them names, occupations, etc
If they have bags or parcels – what could be inside? Who is it for?
Do they like the people they are with? Is it their family or have they just met? Where would they rather be?
Look in the daily paper. There are hundreds of headlines each day that could be converted into a unique story. Don’t just look at the main headlines; look at the small one-paragraph snippets too. A story about a long lost pet reunited with its owner may spark a story idea for you.
Yes, it’s okay to get ideas from other people’s stories. As long as you don’t use their story or characters it’s possible to spin off a story off your own. Change it up – take a story and change the setting/time/ages/etc. Romeo and Juliet in the 21st Century would be a very different story. Pinocchio – have the boy turn into a puppet instead – and in a future setting.
Read other books in the same genre that you like to write.
The more you read, the more your imagination will grow and it helps to have a huge imagination to write.
Some great places to start for more information are the following ebooks.
THE ONLY WRITING PROMPT BOOK YOU’LL EVER NEED
WRITING PROMPTS AND STORY IDEAS
