How to Get Ideas for a Story
Research a lot., Select three of your favorite, most interesting books. , Write down a few of your favorite scenarios from those books., Write an outline., Write your story., Reread and edit., Find a really interesting picture., Study the picture...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Research a lot.
If you read lots of books that inspire you to write your own stories, then you will have a lot to fire your imagination with. ,, Think about how you can combine the ideas. , Include everything from the beginning to the end.
Keep in mind it's okay to change the ending when you get to it. , Be sure to use your own words.
Ensure that your writing isn't like any of the books you've been inspired by. , Then present to a friend, family member, etc. and see what they have to say. , Try finding a picture that has an interesting subject, or is abstract. , Look at every aspect of the photo. , Write a list about subjects of the photo, or objects.
For example, is the setting in a hot or cold climate? Is the photo still-life, computerized or even a drawing? , There's no real art to it, just let your hand write and the words flow! Who knows, you may come up with a bestseller! , You may not see anything worth writing about at first but soon you'll realize that there is inspiration all around you. , Maybe something exciting has happened in your family that would make a great story with a bit of tweaking.
At school.
Do you have a nasty teacher you could describe? Or is there a really mean bully that is story-worthy? At a friend's house.
Do you have any odd friends with strange families or any spooky houses? At the park.
See a strange looking person, goth teenager or an angry business man that you could write about? Or even some interesting wildlife.
In the forest.
Plenty of amazing nature. , At a mate's house.
At a sporting event of some sort.
In your family ,, You'll find out all sorts of interesting things for use in writing stories.
Find people, any people, and strike up conversation.
Ask them about:
And more What they did in the weekend Their family Their pets Who their idol is What they watch on television Where they shop What they love to eat , Or even the perfect end to your developing novel! , One by one, go through your old notebooks, checking to see if there are any unfinished stories that could have potential or any scribbled ideas that you assumed were rubbish but are actually golden nuggets. , Just tweak them to suit you. , There are plenty of good websites out there for writers block such as: http://writingprompts.tumblr.com http://creativewritingprompts.com http://writers-den.pantomimepony.co.uk/writers-plot-ideas.php. , -
Step 2: Select three of your favorite
-
Step 3: most interesting books.
-
Step 4: Write down a few of your favorite scenarios from those books.
-
Step 5: Write an outline.
-
Step 6: Write your story.
-
Step 7: Reread and edit.
-
Step 8: Find a really interesting picture.
-
Step 9: Study the picture.
-
Step 10: Write about the photo.
-
Step 11: Devise a storyline from the ideas list.
-
Step 12: Look around.
-
Step 13: If you're a child
-
Step 14: some places to look include: Your family.
-
Step 15: If you're an adult
-
Step 16: some places to look include: At your workplace.
-
Step 17: If you really can't find anything then move onto the next method.
-
Step 18: Get chatting with people.
-
Step 19: Follow up on any amazing ideas presented by the talks you've had with others.
-
Step 20: Grab some of your old writing notebooks or exercise books.
-
Step 21: If you find any ideas that are good but not really your style
-
Step 22: don't fret!
-
Step 23: If you can't come up with any ideas yourself
-
Step 24: use the internet for prompts
-
Step 25: story starters or images that trigger ideas.
-
Step 26: Use the ideas and images from the websites to trigger your own ideas to create a wonderful idea of your own.
Detailed Guide
If you read lots of books that inspire you to write your own stories, then you will have a lot to fire your imagination with. ,, Think about how you can combine the ideas. , Include everything from the beginning to the end.
Keep in mind it's okay to change the ending when you get to it. , Be sure to use your own words.
Ensure that your writing isn't like any of the books you've been inspired by. , Then present to a friend, family member, etc. and see what they have to say. , Try finding a picture that has an interesting subject, or is abstract. , Look at every aspect of the photo. , Write a list about subjects of the photo, or objects.
For example, is the setting in a hot or cold climate? Is the photo still-life, computerized or even a drawing? , There's no real art to it, just let your hand write and the words flow! Who knows, you may come up with a bestseller! , You may not see anything worth writing about at first but soon you'll realize that there is inspiration all around you. , Maybe something exciting has happened in your family that would make a great story with a bit of tweaking.
At school.
Do you have a nasty teacher you could describe? Or is there a really mean bully that is story-worthy? At a friend's house.
Do you have any odd friends with strange families or any spooky houses? At the park.
See a strange looking person, goth teenager or an angry business man that you could write about? Or even some interesting wildlife.
In the forest.
Plenty of amazing nature. , At a mate's house.
At a sporting event of some sort.
In your family ,, You'll find out all sorts of interesting things for use in writing stories.
Find people, any people, and strike up conversation.
Ask them about:
And more What they did in the weekend Their family Their pets Who their idol is What they watch on television Where they shop What they love to eat , Or even the perfect end to your developing novel! , One by one, go through your old notebooks, checking to see if there are any unfinished stories that could have potential or any scribbled ideas that you assumed were rubbish but are actually golden nuggets. , Just tweak them to suit you. , There are plenty of good websites out there for writers block such as: http://writingprompts.tumblr.com http://creativewritingprompts.com http://writers-den.pantomimepony.co.uk/writers-plot-ideas.php. ,
About the Author
Elizabeth Ford
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: