How to be more creative?
Where do the ideas come from?
How to harness your ideas?
To answer the question if there is an actual answer to the question on where do ideas come from? In relation to writing and creating stories. Read on and I will share my thoughts on how to craft your ideas into stories.
To quote other fellow writers one said there was an idea factory in down town New York and the writer Neil Gaiman said “descend to the basement, roll out the goat bones a portal will open up and the creature will appear and give you a piece of chocolate – all you have to do is eat the chocolate then you will have an idea.” There are many other opinions and thoughts from different writers stating different things on where ideas come from – the short answer is that no one really knows, but continue below and I will share my thoughts on where I think ideas come from without the need to summon the creature in the basement for an idea, but might be good if you are peckish for some chocolate.
To Consume
The first thing to help with working towards your own creativity and coming up with your ideas is to consume – read books, magazines, watch – tv shows, plays, films and listen – podcasts, audiobooks. Don’t limit yourself to your usual reading try new genres and non-fiction, consume new media and keep your comfort re-reading or re-watching for another time. New things will broaden your horizons and help you think differently, but don’t just mindlessly consume, consume with attention and retain most of what you’ve read, record and make notes. Create voice notes or keep some sticky notes handy to jot down anything of interest.
Go Outside
Yes, go outside and leave the house, meet friends and family. Sit in the coffee shop by yourself but don’t take your laptop, take a notepad and pen. It would be good to take a small notepad with you every day to record any new things you feel, see, hear or think about, like a journal but not a dear diary entry. Keep it simple it does not have to be filled in every day. Visiting friends and family socialising is good for the soul and lifts your spirits, even if you are an introvert – people need people and without these relationships and or experiences it will show through your writing the characters will not be lifelike; they will be two dimensional.
Change of Environment
Leave the computer room or study, sit elsewhere in the home with your notepad and pen, a change of environment can get ideas flowing. Staying in one place to do your writing can result in a writing rut churning out the same ideas and not inspiring any new ones. Also, just as leaving the house can lift your spirits – a simple walk can be inspiring or if budget allows it, go on a day trip to blow off the cobwebs. A refreshed mind will work better than a worn out one.
Writing Tools
Try different stationery use different pens and notepads, I have tried writing with a fountain pen, and I could not get along with it, so I switched to a simple Bic pen. I use a hardback notebook with a magnetic closure, it is lightly lined with no margins, and it is in-between sizes smaller than A4 but larger than A5. Also, the colour of the paper is off white I can’t stand white paper it is just as bad as the blinking cursor on the computer screen; it fills me with dread and imposter syndrome kicks in and makes me want to run away and hide. The stationery does not have to be expensive, just find what is right for you.
Be a Magpie
Keep, record and work on the gems you’ve found and realise that there are no original ideas just inspiration again and again it is just a different interpretation of the same idea but told from a different perspective such as William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet inspired the play West Side Story and Grimm Fairy Tales have been reimagined by Disney making them more appealing to children and less horrific. There are a number of classic literatures which has been reinterpreted in modern day literature, stories from Jane Austen such as the film Clueless starring Alicia Sliverstone was loosely based on Jane Austen ‘Emma’. Austin Kleon coined the term ‘Be a magpie’ from his book Steal Like an Artist. Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon.
To Listen
Listen to friend, family and strangers. People say the strangest things. Make a note of what they say, this could be an idea for a story. I remember overhearing a conversation between two women talking about their work colleague and how bad she was to them – a complete character assignation. What if one woman took this too far and plotted to kill her work colleague. One story could be about her failed attempts of trying to kill her work colleague: a black comedy story. Another story is that she did it and is trying to get away with it: a cat and mouse story. By keeping a journal and flicking and reading through it from time to time can spark other ideas bubbling to the surface. I have very vivid dreams and at least two of my most recent stories started from a dream I had. The House of Thespis and Obsidian were from my dreams.
Warning!
I would encourage and advise not to use idea generators or AI to come up with ideas or to use to write a plot, subplot or scenes just use your own imagination notepad and pen and write.
Book recommends on writing
Writing a cozy mystery: Expanded Second Edition by Nancy J. Cohen
Writing Vivid Settings: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors (Writer’s Craft book 10) by Rayne Hall. Rayne Hall has about 38 books on writing techniques I really liked the word loss diet book, it helped with editing my story.
Are You Actually Going To Write A Book Or Just Talk About It?: An Aggressive Guide To Writing, Creativity, And Actually Getting Things Done (Actually Author Series 1) By Brandon Q. Scott
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