Timewaster's Guide Archive
Local Authors => Writing Group => Topic started by: Reaves on June 29, 2009, 10:37:45 AM
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So, when and where do your best ideas come from? For me its not a particular place, but a particular time: in that relaxed state right when I'm about to fall asleep. I don't even think I am consciously thinking about the story but something just pops into my head and I have to get up and scribble something down or else I'll forget. I've since learned that if I don't write it down I'll simply forget in the morning, KNOWING that I thought of something really cool but not knowing what it was :P
How about you?
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Ya... for me, my best ideas come to me when there is no possible way to jot them down. But other than that I get a lot of ideas just having regular conversations with people. Also listening to music, mainly while I listen to calm music with no singing and stuff. A favorite is Tangerine Dream. Although I'm not completely saying no to singing music, as long as it's not overpowering my thoughts. ::)
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I am pretty much always thinking to myself (I think kind of weird. There's a two layer thing going on. One is split second images and such, and then I also think in fully "written" sentances.) And a lot of those thoughts/convos (not in a crazy way) turn into stories. Like one today is "Who are you?" accompanied by someone sweetly (think of medieval faerie tale princess type sweet/coy/almost flirty) moving to the side of something. That's turned into an awesome short.
So for me pretty much anything can prompt a story. A lot of them come from the personal thoughts, or else convos with people is another one that I get a lot of ideas from.
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Hm, I think a lot like SeerBreaker the Light, actually... sorry, you're not alone on this one! Often I'll be doing something mindless (like dishes) and writing/rewriting scenes in my head at the same time. I don't get a lot of ideas from dreams, though there are certain images that stay with me.
Very rarely I will get an idea almost fully-formed and so insistent that I will have to sit down almost immediately to write it out. They're never very long, though- a scene or two at most. I'm not sure what you'd call that.. it's not really flash-fiction, 'cause a lot of times it'll turn out to be longer, but it definitely isn't either a short story or a novella.
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There's no one place. I literally take ideas from anywhere and everywhere - whatever catches my fancy.
I actually wrote a post on my blog (http://melody.byethost8.com/?p=124) about that a while ago, if anyone's interested enough to check it out.
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Raven, you reminded me. another place I get A LOT of my ideas are dreams. In fact, the novel I worked on for nanowrimo was something that started as one dream, then had another added to it, and them BAM! All the piece fell into place.
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A good portion of my ideas come from dreams, at least in part. The one I'm currently working on now, though, came from a conversation I had a year ago, that got me thinking and I decided it would make a really good book. Development ideas for current projects come from anywhere. Literally. Washing dishes, slicing tomatoes, Stonehenge (the muse hit me hard there, and I had a freaking awesome epiphany. It was fantastic)....yeah. Anywhere. Just depends on if my mind is open to thinking the right way.
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SBTL: sweet! When I remember my dreams at all, it's because they're very strange- but not really story-worthy.
At the moment I can only think of two story ideas that came from dreams. Do you ever dream on purpose? (there's a term for that, but it's slipped my mind...) Ah! Lucid dreaming.
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For me, almost all of my information comes from objects. A sword, an old knife, an interesting stone, a metal figurine . . . depending on what mood I'm in (and so what story I'm working on), I put (on my desk next to my computer) the little things that inspired me to write the story. If I feel my momentum falter, I pick 'em up, look at 'em for a bit, let my mind wander, and I'm pretty much back on track.
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Most of my ideas come in two stages. The first is just the brief flash of inspiration (or whatever you'd call it). Maybe vague image in my head, or just a unique pairing of two different ideas, or whatever. Anyhow, those bits of inspiration are rarely enough on their own.
The second stage is when I deliver pizza (it's my job, and it's awesome). While delivering pizza, I'm usually deliberately thinking about my ideas, trying to create something out of those vague images or scattered ideas that I have. I guess I do that in a lot of other situations, but it's when I'm delivering pizza that the ideas seem to come together on their own. I don't know why that is, but I dig it.
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My ideas come from a lot of places. Sometimes I'll have a dream that inspires me. Other times it'll be when I'm in band, playing some amazing piece of music. I'll also get an idea when I'm at track, and not thinking about anything but running. I have no idea why.
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Everywhere for me ;) (Yea, it's a cop out, but oh well) Whenever I have a dream I remember vividly, I try to write it down... but have yet to consider writing any of them. They're cool to think about but, as someone else said, not really story worthy. In my case, I tend to think of a lot of concepts I would like in my books. Magic, innovation, good twist, etc, and I just think how I can do it in a way that is unique. That said, my best ideas are almost always when I'm laying in bed attempting to fall asleep. I'm constantly pulling out my iphone and adding notes at 2-3 am. Sucks when I'm trying to sleep, but the next morning I'm glad I wrote them down. Also, other books are great and making you think of ideas. Brandon has said on the podcast a few times that he likes to read something and think how he can make it better. I think that's great advice.
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Absolutely everywhere and everything.
The trick is, I think, to allow yourself to run with those ideas when they come. Even if they seem stupid at the time. Play with it for a bit first, and see what you can make. Then, write the stuff down. So easy to forget. Just be open. Can't count the number of times that I've been talking to my wife and I'll catch on something (something she's said, or something I just saw, or an errant thought running through my brain) and I'll just space off and then she gets after me for not listening. Stay open to the inspiration bug. And when he bites, PAY ATTENTION!
:D
That's it for me.