Idea Flow

Brainstorming, idea mapping, story fishing ... Whatever you want to call it, it’s all about the same thing – finding that perfect idea for your next story.
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So where do you get the best ideas come from? Can you pull them from everyday life? Is it possible to go about your day, do you favorite activities, and find great ideas for your next book?
(Knock, knock, knock) Hello! YES! That’s the best place to get them.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Truth is stranger than fiction”? Think about it. Everyday activities, fears, and obsessions are the PERFECT subject matter. Take Stephen King for example:Carrie – the prom, every high school student has looked that event in the faceIt - the fear of clowns, and if you weren’t, the clown tour of 2016 at least made you leeryChristine – men and their cars, right?
In addition to activities, fears and obsessions, where else can you find great story ideas? Below are a few trees I’ve learned to shake.

FREEWRITING
Instead of trying to force ideas, just sit in a relaxing location with pen and paper, turn on your favorite music, light a fire in the fireplace, or just stare out the window for a few minutes. Then, just write – not about anything specific, just whatever comes to mind. The color of the trees, the way the fire dances over the logs, how much you Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight drum solo ... write down whatever pops into your head. From there, allow the words to create their own path. Don’t edit them even if you have no idea where it’s going. Let the words flow and keep flowing. You can set a timer and write for 10 minutes, 20, or until acted upon by an outside force – such as kids wanting food, or your boss calling wondering why you didn’t show up to work today.

PINTEREST
Before I go any further, I must offer you a warning. Pinterest is addictive and can often be a rabbit hole from which you will need rescued. On more than one occasion, I will open my Pinterest app with the intention of searching for one specific thing only to find that two hours later, I still haven’t done my original search. And don’t be surprised if you start out looking at recipes and end up planning to build an addition on your home for all your new prepping supplies.

Pinterest can be a great well for quenching your literary dehydration (what others may call writer’s block). If you need motivation, writing prompts or story ideas, simply type it into the search bar and clear your schedule for at least an hour. I have several boards that are dedicated specifically to writing and story ideas. You’ll have your own collection soon.

THE MEDIA
When I say the media, I am including all media outlets – television, movies, newspaper, magazines, and the internet. Media outlets are a wealth of information for story ideas.Movies – I’m not talking about ripping off someone idea and trying to pass it off as your own. Instead, do an idea mash up, and then add an extra something to make it unique. For example, Carrie meets Die Hard. A girl with supernatural abilities uses her powers to help free her family – as well as the residents of her college dorm – when they are taken hostage by her former professor who has become obsessed with her after seeing her abilities in action. You can do this with any movies. You can even mash up classic movies with modern day. Try it! See what you can create.Television – Again, I am not telling you to take someone else’s idea. Television offers such a wide variety from which to choose. Reality shows such as Face Off (on Sci Fi) can spark ideas simply by watching them create characters from clay and poly-foam. The details they offer can often spark something in your mind or plant a seed that can grow into a full-length novel. Other television options for story ideas are news broadcasts, talk shows, biographies, true crime shows, and unsolved mysteries, most things on the natural geographic or the history channel, and documentaries.Newspapers and Magazines – While there may be some great story ideas in the mainstream magazines, try taking a look in some of the “alternative” ones. You know the ones. Where the headlines talk about the recent sightings of Elvis, UFO babies, and how a two-headed man robbed the local bank. It may sound funny, but trust me. Buy one. Read it. See what happens. As far as newspapers, skip the front page and read the articles on the inside. The piece on the local prison giving ghost tours might just be the spark you need.
THE INTERNET
This one is easy. Pick your favorite search engine and type in a subject matter – corrupt police officers, angel-of-mercy nurses, vampires, aliens, vengeful spirits, whatever it is that your little heart desires. But be sure to go a few pages in. the first two or three pages always gives you the basic information, and facts we already know. It’s the later pages that give you the unique info – that’s what you need. You can also go to Google, type in your subject matter, and click the “I’m feeling lucky” option. I’ve done that a few times. The results were interesting.

I’m sure there are many other places to find ideas, but it’s a great place to start. Your next issue will be how to organize all your ideas, as well as which one to work on first. But isn’t that a wonderful problem to have?
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