Sometimes the hardest part of writing is getting started. Story ideas are every where; you just have to know where to look. Of course, once you have any idea, you have to WRITE, but that’s another topic.
To start, let me just offer a couple of suggestions for finding ideas:
1. Evening News – It would be impossible to create a fiction more disturbing than the true crime stories reported on the evening news. If you are fascinated with mystery, suspense or forensic and crime investigations, the best place to begin is real life. The translation from fact to fiction is not literal, but you can take inspiration from the circumstances, the motivations and the aftermath.
2. The Classics – Consider fairy tales, legends, classic literature and rewrite them with a modern twist or from a new perspective. A terrific example of this is Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Maguire transformed familiar characters by exposing them with a new perspective.
3. What If – Carry a journal to jot down all the “What Ifs” that occur during the day. Whenever the struggle to start a story occurs, refer to your journal and explore a “What If” scenario. Stephen King discusses this technique in his book, On Writing.
4. Observations – Observe people around you, their body language, and their facial expressions. Take in the world, the texture, smells, and colors, employ all your senses and then describe all you observe.
These are ideas to start a story, but really the most important thing for writers is to WRITE. The more you explore ideas and develop your voice, the more prepared you will be when that BIG IDEA comes your way. Try a few of these starters, and see where they take you.
Posted by lisaj66 