How do you get your ideas?

tbahh

Basically, I am just wondering how ye all get your ideas for your stories/novels/musicals/poems/songs/scripts etc. Do you sit down and think about them or do they just come in to your head when you are doing something else? Or perhaps something else?

Antilles

Theft, mostly.

euser1984

Well I only started writing recently and have just been writing about my own life - parts of it so far in short stories. My poems are an overall outlook on my life and the way I feel about certain things.

I haven't really read anything for a long time except my sisters writing - I have adopted her style somewhat - If I hadn't read her story I don't think I'd know how to write. Funnily enough what she wrote was about me as well! I liked that because I don't really feel like people understand me which is extremely frustrating. This is why I've started writing I think.

I don't label myself as a writer or a poet either - I think, if I did that might leave me somewhat restricted perhaps. I'm an ordinary person who just happens to write. I happen to clean up my kitchen as well and do shopping every week!

So yeah, I just happen to write about some of my experiences which is a release for me and in the hope that people will say "I understand you" or can relate to it. I don't even like writing to be frank - it's hard and frustrating at times. I suppose it can also be fun and enjoyable too though. Maybe it will become more enjoyable when I get feedback from other people.

Black and white like life I suppose. I think it's probably the same with everything.

The last thing I will say is that I don't or hope it's not an ego thing - hence the reason why I don't like to label myself. In my experience you get little motivation from your ego in the long run.

Hope that helps you somewhat.

tbahh

euser1984 wrote: »

Well I only started writing recently and have just been writing about my own life - parts of it so far in short stories. My poems are an overall outlook on my life and the way I feel about certain things.

I haven't really read anything for a long time except my sisters writing - I have adopted her style somewhat - If I hadn't read her story I don't think I'd know how to write. Funnily enough what she wrote was about me as well! I liked that because I don't really feel like people understand me which is extremely frustrating. This is why I've started writing I think.

I don't label myself as a writer or a poet either - I think, if I did that might leave me somewhat restricted perhaps. I'm an ordinary person who just happens to write. I happen to clean up my kitchen as well and do shopping every week!

So yeah, I just happen to write about some of my experiences which is a release for me and in the hope that people will say "I understand you" or can relate to it. I don't even like writing to be frank - it's hard and frustrating at times. I suppose it can also be fun and enjoyable too though. Maybe it will become more enjoyable when I get feedback from other people.

Black and white like life I suppose. I think it's probably the same with everything.

The last thing I will say is that I don't or hope it's not an ego thing - hence the reason why I don't like to label myself. In my experience you get little motivation from your ego in the long run.

Hope that helps you somewhat.

Thanks euser1984. That was a great response.

For me, the type of things that I write are not based on my experiences as my writing is more about fantasy at the moment. However, I do find that some aspects of my life have developed into my ideas. (I too find it extremely frustrating to write and normally give up after 10 minutes)

I also get my ideas from what I call "the inner voice". For example, if I see something for just a second, something in my head says "He will wear that" or "she will have an interest in ....". It's quite hard to explain although rereading what I wrote there makes me look a bit crazy. Oh well!

I also find when I sit down to write, it can be either very good or fairly crap. Then, when I try to go to sleep, my mind keeps thinking about new ideas and it drives me crazy. So, I have to get up in the middle of the night and note them all down.

I love the thinking up of characters and storylines, just simply dislike the writing of it.

So to reiterate my first post, and to add more details, how do you all get your ideas for your writing and do you have any techniques that help you come up with new ideas?

euser1984

tbahh wrote: »

I also get my ideas from what I call "the inner voice". For example, if I see something for just a second, something in my head says "He will wear that" or "she will have an interest in ....". It's quite hard to explain although rereading what I wrote there makes me look a bit crazy. Oh well!

No, I can understand what you mean here - I think you're referring to intuition. It's a personality trait some people have.

EileenG

Ideas are ten a penny. Every time you say "What if?" you have an idea. It's turning those ideas into stories that's the problem.

ahayzer42

tbahh,

To throw my hat into the ring, for what it's worth.

I find that I'm very dialogue driven and I'll hear someone say something or I'll say something myself either out loud or in my head and think that it's a really great line and jesus, I'll nearly fashion a story around that one line. I did it with one not too long ago in which I managed to base a short story around a throwaway line I made to a friend about having a bad temper.

The other thing I've tended to do lately is ignore the whole "write what you know" mantra and gone in to writing about stuff I know next to nothing about. Am working on something at the moment set in Paris and the south of France. I was in Paris maybe ten years ago and can't really remember it so pretty much writing blind but finding that I'm getting away with it so far!

Don't know if that's of any use or interest but there you have it!

tbahh

EileenG wrote: »

Ideas are ten a penny. Every time you say "What if?" you have an idea. It's turning those ideas into stories that's the problem.

I tend to disagree with that. I am finding the more ideas that I come up with, the better they fit into the storyline. I am hoping to write a series of books and to be honest, nearly all my ideas will be used. Sometimes, I have found myself altering the ideas to better suit the plot. Therefore, I feel for me that the more ideas (if extremely simple or stupid) that I come up with, the better the story gets.

Antilles

"Write what you know" is without a doubt the worst advice you can give a writer who isn't a former Navy SEAL, expert con-man, rocketship pilot or serial lothario. It really irritates me when I hear people suggest it.

Most people's lives are boring, and chances are that any given writer's life is boring too. The advice should be "write what you would like to read, and if you don't know enough, do your best and fill in the blanks with research later."

To restate Eileen's response, ideas are the easy part. Anything that pops into your head is an idea. "What if a truck driver travelled America fighting motorcycle gangs with his pet orangutan?" is an idea. The skill lies in filtering out the crap and working the rest into something that's worth reading.

tbahh

ahayzer42 wrote: »

tbahh,

To throw my hat into the ring, for what it's worth.

I find that I'm very dialogue driven and I'll hear someone say something or I'll say something myself either out loud or in my head and think that it's a really great line and jesus, I'll nearly fashion a story around that one line. I did it with one not too long ago in which I managed to base a short story around a throwaway line I made to a friend about having a bad temper.

The other thing I've tended to do lately is ignore the whole "write what you know" mantra and gone in to writing about stuff I know next to nothing about. Am working on something at the moment set in Paris and the south of France. I was in Paris maybe ten years ago and can't really remember it so pretty much writing blind but finding that I'm getting away with it so far!

Don't know if that's of any use or interest but there you have it!

I find what you said in the first paragraph extremely interesting as it happens to me quite a lot. In fact, a friend and I were watching television the last night and some person said a line on a advertisement and I started to think up a story from that line. I managed to take something from one context and completely changed to another in the matter of seconds. My friend just looked at me and said "You're thinking of ideas for a novel, aren't you?" or something like that.

I also agree with what you said in the second paragraph, in particular the place. I plan on setting my series in England, even though I haven't been there for years (and even then, I was only about 8 or 9). For me, location is not important in relation to what I am working on now but in another thing that I have thought of, it is of major importance. So, location is only of importance if you want it to be.

And thanks to all who have posted so far. I am not using it for any purpose other than my own interest as I thought it would be fun to hear how others come up with ideas/thoughts for their respective work.

tbahh

Antilles wrote: »

"To restate Eileen's response, ideas are the easy part. Anything that pops into your head is an idea. "What if a truck driver travelled America fighting motorcycle gangs with his pet orangutan?" is an idea. The skill lies in filtering out the crap and working the rest into something that's worth reading.

As I have said before, I find that the more ideas I come up with, the more it helps to shape the story.

Also, the "What If?" scenario you came up with there sounds mighty!

Antilles

tbahh wrote: »

Also, the "What If?" scenario you came up with there sounds mighty!

It would want to, it's a Clint Eastwood movie!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Every_Which_Way_but_Loose_%28film%29

kickarykee

All kinds of ways...
Sometimes I watch something that inspires me, sometimes I experience something, sometimes it just hits me...
But I hardly ever sit down and try to make things up by force. If I do I most certainly will change it in the end, anyway, since I never really liked it to begin with.

coffee_cake

For poetry, experiences. Something will strike me and I'll want to write about it.
Finishing them is always another matter though

MooMoo100

There are lots of things you can do to help you find ideas for stories, one of my favourites is scouring magazines for interesting photographs, they always get a story going. I find the photographs from the Sunday times magazine really good. It captures a moment in time and you get to build the story around it. Its fun really :-)

Deus Ex Machina

My creative ability, such as it is, is stimulated by my environment. There is a place I go where I sit and simply observe the world around me. Usually I listen to some music, Bach's Goldberg variations to be precise, but I also enjoy sitting there and letting the sounds I hear flow over me. I don't force anything initially, no thought of seeking ideas, instead I just try to relax. Eventually something tugs at my mind, and I follow it, wherever it goes.

I find that when I stand up and leave, more often than not the seeds or some sort of idea have been sown.

Marguerite Tonery

All the great authors would say that they write what interests them. I simply drop into my creative flow, while there the thoughts just flow to my mind. I hear someone speak of something and maybe I take one word or phrase from that conversation and run away with it in my mind. Sometimes I see something when I am passing down the road in my car or going for a walk or cycle and I imagine how different that same thing could be or how that thing could be transformed into a magnificent creation.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Anything I've attempted to write has been based on my own personal experiences and emotions. Often an event I experience, or a thought I entertain will strike me as being a good subject to write about.