CHAPTER 2
Ideas and Their Origins
The kiss of inspiration snuck up one evening and
kissed you quite unexpectedly. From that moment an idea rattled around your
brain like a pea in a can. That idea will constantly niggle you like a child
tugging on your trousers. The idea must have expression - that is just how it
is.
·
The idea is growing. It will convince
you that it is definitely original and no one has ever thought of such an
amazing idea before. In fact this idea will slowly consume you and compel you
to tell everyone about it.
·
Great – write it down. An idea is great;
however, it is just an asteroid floating around space until gravity captures it
and brings it into reality. It then becomes the shooting star!
·
Buy yourself a writing journal and keep
a scrapbook. Capture everything related to this idea and allow the idea to
germinate and grow.
·
Before we go any further – does this
idea give you a sense of passion? Does it make you want to spend hours
developing and refining? Does the thought of spending two hours a day making
this idea reality appeal?
·
IDEAS-> MASS OF IDEAS->
FILTER-> FINAL IDEA-> BACKGROUND-> CHARACTERS-> THEME-> LOCATION->
STORY-> ERA-> GENRE-> FULL CONCEPT-> WORKING TITLE-> PREPARE TO
BEGIN.
The Source of Inspiration
The Art of Noticing
Have you ever considered what you notice and why you notice it?
We all have very different ways of filtering the world around us and
each of us approach situations with completely different systems of
identification. Take for example a party environment. One person will notice
conversations, another will notice body language and maybe another will notice
aromas or outfits.
As an interesting exercise write down three things that you notice in
any given situation. Once you have listed three usual/obvious items, I suggest
you search for three less obvious traits/details. In addition, attempt to notice
using different senses. That way you open up your mind to extended noticing.
With what you have noticed consider how you witness the world around
you.
Are you primarily visual, auditory or do you notice smells?
Try sharing this idea with a friend and compare what you notice. Is it
the same?
What can you learn from how other people notice the world? How can you
apply this learning to your writing? How could you enable an insight into a
character through the ways in which they notice?
Story Generation
In a world filled by stories, where do we actually originate
inspiration?
Some questions you may wish to consider once you have established what
you wish to write:
Why do we want to write it? One needs a ‘why’ for motivation. Is the
‘why’ to write your life story for future generations? Is it a burning desire
to put on paper a story that has been floating about your mind for years?
Will writing this story provide us with pure enjoyment or enable us to
experience life from a different perspective?
How will you reward yourself once you have written this story?
Rewarding yourself for completion is something paramount. I ask my students to
list a reward, it is usually the following: a spa day, a new handbag, pretty
new shoes, track days, adventure day out or a dinner at a nice restaurant. The
point of having a reward is to celebrate your success. That way you train
yourself to complete what you start.
Back to the story: The truth is that stories are everywhere; it is
just a case of noticing them. Some of the more obvious examples come from
newspapers, magazines, television, history, myths, fairy tales and our own
lives.
With all this in mind, have a look at the below checklist to make sure
you have clarity:
·
What is it that you wish to write?
·
What is the idea?
·
What is its theme?
·
Why must you share this with the world?
·
Who would be interested?
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What are the key components of the idea?
·
What can they be linked to?
·
What is your intended outcome? – A
novel, a short story or an epic?
·
What would you like to gain from the
journey of writing this?
·
What are the emotions involved?
·
What research is involved?
·
What locations do you need to
visit?
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Who could you talk to about the idea?
·
Who will give you genuine feedback?
·
What is the location? What is the
era/timeframe?
·
Who are your characters and why do they
appeal?
·
What is the story really about?
·
Why is it that we wish to write the
story?
·
Who will it appeal to?
·
Is it real?
·
If it is fiction, does something similar
already exist?
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What genre?
·
Whose point of view?
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How can I make this unique?
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What can I bring to this that is purely
mine?
·
What is my reward?
Once we have an idea or a theme – how do we expand and evolve our
ideas?
Some of the obvious examples are as follows:
·
Brain storms with cards. Write on cards
and arrange them into a story.
·
Mind map. Draw a diagram and have arrows
and boxes leading in all directions.
·
Cutting construction. Make cuttings from
magazines and use these as prompts.
·
Random word prompt. Take a walk, listen
out to conversations and use a word that jumps out at you to be your prompt.
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Random theme prompt. It could be love,
travel, sport – any theme can prompt you.
·
Object story generation. Take two random
objects and write a story that links them.
·
Open random book/dictionary on a page.
Find a theme there.
Problem Solving as
a Story Generator
One of my favourite ways to initiate a story is simply the action of
solving a problem. Take for example the following:
·
Overhearing a conversation that affects
a friend. How do you let them know?
·
The craving for a bacon sandwich but
having no bacon in the fridge.
·
Having to shop for a gift for someone
who has everything.
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The need for a cup of sugar when you
have moved into a new flat.
·
The response to a power cut.
·
A problem often initiates a journey.
Take for example taking a pregnant friend to hospital.
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Discovering someone jammed in a window.
·
Being locked out of your house.
·
Being stuck in a lift.
A Random Object as
a Story Generator
If in doubt, find a random object and make a story for the object.
Objects often have stories of their own. Who created the object? How
did the object come into the possession of the present owner? What is special
about the object? By having something real in front of you it becomes easier to
stimulate the mind. The Hare With The Amber Eyes is a novel that traces a
family’s history based on rare objects that were collected by the family.
Filtering Down
Once we begin brainstorming, we soon realise that there is a potential
story explosion. If we are not careful we can be consumed by creative
chaos. With this in mind, after
expanding our creative potential, we now need to structure and narrow down all
the ideas. There are a number of techniques for this.
·
Lists common themes.
·
Colour coding/circling.
·
The arrangement of cards which lists the
details to generate the structure of the story.
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