Find Story Ideas
Short on ideas and you really want to write a story that you want to be published? Well... here are some great ideas.
Contents
Steps
Writing Help
Doc:Writing Exercises,Science Fiction Brainstorm,Science Fiction Excerpt
Finding Your Own Story Ideas
- Visit the question/answer sites like Yahoo Answers or WikiAnswers. It's the place where people exposes their most hidden issues of their life they wouldn't even uncover to their spouse or parents. You can read psychological or material issues you would never think people can have. Search on the site using keywords, you will find some stories related to yours. Only focus on the questions; the answers are far less interesting.
- Use pause when you listen to a story. When you read a book, watch a movie alone or view videos on YouTube, take the habit to pause at the most confusing moment. At this moment, try to guess the following. Search as many versions as possible. When you resume the story, your version is sometimes more original than the official ending. It's not plagiarism if the idea is different. You can also adapt your new ending to your story, change the names, the place. Eventually, it will be a completely different story.
- Never be frustrated when you listen to a story. Sometimes, you see a trailer movie and you think "Wow! This concept is so original!" You go to see the movie and you discover that the concept is completely another one... Don't be frustrated! It means that you have found an original idea! Don't lose it.
- Use the news headlines for inspiration. Find a striking and interesting article that catches your eye, and write about it.
- Listen to conversations. Snippets of conversation can be incorporated into your story.
- Listen to a song and really pay attention to the lyrics. How does the song make you feel? Happy? Sad? Write about a character you can create from these lyrics, or just write about how it makes you feel.
- Sometimes, just writing the title of a future story will make your words flow and create an impressive story.
- Write fan-fiction. Incorporate your favorite band or singer into it and write about their crazy, funny or sad antics. You could write about your interpretation of how a certain song came to be. There are many fan-fiction websites that you can then post your story on, and get reviews.
- Look through a magazine or borrow some magazines from the library. Flip through the pages and see what you find. Embarrassing moments? Incorporate them into a story. Problem/help pages in the magazine? You can use one of those problems for your characters problem(s) and complications.
- Look at pictures/photos of people. Imagine what their name is, who they are, their life story etc. Write about who they really are.
- Take your real life experiences and incorporate them into your story. Or you could write an auto-biography!
- If writing with a pen and paper and not on a computer, having the right stationary can actually improve your writing. You can't expect to use your full writing potential by writing on pre-scribbled paper with a really crummy pen, can you?
- Write about your dreams and wildest fantasies coming to reality (don't worry, you can change the names!).
- Make a mind map. Mind maps are great for organizing information about characters and events, especially if you are more of a visual person.
- Watch TV, with a notebook or laptop on hand, and study the people, TV shows and commercials you see. TV can actually bring inspiring ideas to mind. Study the people on the commercials, and think of their life after the commercial has passed.
- If you have/had a diary or journal, look through previous entries. Find something in their that you can incorporate into your story.
- Try free-writing, it only takes about ten minutes a day. Basically, you write non-stop for 10-20 minutes, writing about whatever comes to mind. Don't make corrections as you write, and just keep writing, even if you have to write, 'I don't know what to write' until you can write something else.
- Make an exquisite corpse. This is a really good writing activity that can strike up ideas with your friends or family when bored. (- denotes a new line). Grab a piece of paper, and write three lines about something (eg. Once upon a time, their lived a bird - named Andy. Andy loved fishing, because - he loved eating). Then fold the first two lines so only the third line is visible (e.g he loved eating) and then pass it to another person to continue. (e.g he loved eating walnuts- in the summer breeze. Suddenly- a huge beast from the) Keep continuing this until the page is filled. When you read back what you have wrote, you will most likely be having fits of laughter; it's very amusing.
- Always carry a small notebook or a handheld computer with you so whenever inspiration strikes, you will be ready to record it and always have ideas for stories. Remember, you might not use a paragraph that you have written now, but who knows, in ten years time it might turn out to be the perfect ending for a story of yours.
- Even when short on ideas, there are still things to write about! I remember an author visited my primary school and was talking to us about a new novel he wrote (I forget his name and what it's called!). He said he was just sitting down at a cafe (I think) with a notebook and pen in his hand, thinking of something to write... when he came up with the idea of a boy who never knew what to write, until he borrowed a strange pen off a boy who was an excellent writer, and when he used that pen his writing became very different.
- Transfer all of your story ideas onto a laptop, computer or a notebook.
Tips
- When using a computer or laptop, it's a good idea to back up all of your stories and story ideas just in case your computer crashes (or they accidentally delete)
Warnings
- Don't stare at you paper or computer screen for too long hoping to get ideas. Instead, do things, such as taking a walk or reading a book. Good ideas pop up when you're least expecting it!
Things You'll Need
- A laptop or computer (optional)
- A notebook and pen
- Your imagination
Related Articles
- Improve Yourself Through Writing and Reviewing
- Write a Realistic Dream
- Know when Your Novel Is Long Enough
- Write an End of a Novel
