Where Do You Get Your Ideas?: A Writer's Guide to Transforming Notions Into Narratives

by Fred White

A wardrobe that leads to a fantasy world...a rendition of Hamlet told by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern...the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West.... Just where do successful writers get their ideas? Author Fred White demystifies the creative process of idea generation by breaking it down into six essential idea recognition, idea incubation, outlining, research, drafting, and revision. In Where Do You Get Your Ideas? you will How to create, organize, and keep a writer's notebook. Where to look for ideas--in daily observations, books, news articles, and magazines--and how to recognize a story when you see one. Techniques for developing ideas into creative works of fiction and free-associating, listing, mapping, and collaging. How to transform a good idea into a great story, novel, or memoir. With practical advice, techniques, and exercises, plus 75 seminal ideas to jump-start your creativity, Where Do You Get Your Ideas? will pull back the curtain on the magic of idea generation and reveal the wealth of writing inspiration right in front of you.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2012

Reviews

[Jen Appell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can see how this could be helpful for a beginner writer. It has very detailed instructions and advice, down to which size binder is best for writing. However, as someone who has called herself a writer for some time, this book felt entirely inorganic to me. While there were some good tips on where to find inspiration, many of the ideas and tips were guided and felt forced. Ultimately, I didn't find anything in the book more useful than what I already knew from experience and my own creative habits. On a positive note, the cover was really interesting and was actually part of the reason I picked it up.

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly stimulating book of ideas about writing. I didn't like the "writer's notebook" prompts - as with many writing books out there, the "assignments" seem so... arbitrary. I mean, really: does ANYONE actually do these? They feel as dry as vintage wallboard.

This was a worthy read, but I didn't finish it feeling especially motivated. We'll see how things play out as I put some of these recommendations to use. I took notes!

[Ann Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sensible advice on how to identify and evaluate ideas for fiction projects. The bulk of the book covers the same territory as most other "how to write a book" guides: how to create an outline, write a synopsis, create memorable characters, and find markets for your work.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is less about getting ideas and more about how to write a book... two different problems (I was more interested in the former)

[Claire Handscombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute goldmine.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

In some ways, a book like this is superfluous for me to read.  As my longsuffering readers will note, I have no shortage of ideas as a writer, as someone who has written narratives on subjects as diverse as pocket lint [1] and volcanology [2].  Yet even if someone like me does not usually lack for ideas to write about, I still consider this book a worthwhile example of my trade reading, sort of like continuing self-education [3].  So, with that in mind, I approached this book as someone who generally does pretty well at turning ideas into narrative nonfiction--usually of the personal essay variety--but wanted to know if there was anything more I could do, and if the author had any tricks of the trade to share, and I have to admit I was pleased with this book.  It was certainly not a perfect book and my own approach is different than the author's, but this was definitely a worthwhile book and not time wasted.  There are likely many others would appreciate this book and gain even more from it.

This book, at a bit over 200 pages, is a fairly standard length for a book, and it is divided into two parts.  The first part of the book is theoretical in nature and takes the fist nine chapters.  In this part of the book the author introduces the need to come up with ideas, discusses where to look for them and how to recognize them, and how to get ideas out of the blue.  After this he spends a good deal of time looking at the stages of working with an idea from free association to listing, mapping, profiling, and illustrating, to preparing an outline and synopsis, to developing ideas through research, to writing a first draft, to the fine art of revision.  At this point the book turns to a more practical angle, where the author encourages the reader to apply the theory of the first part.  The author discusses how to build a modern story from an ancient myth step-by-step, how to create a short story from a newspaper report, how to center a memoir on family memorabilia, how to structure a novel around a symbol or event, provides seventy-five seminal ideas for novels, and concludes with some reflections on working with ideas.  It would be a poor reader indeed who would not read this book and come up with at least a dozen great ideas for essays, stories, or full-length projects, or at least a few tips on how to improve the process of developing ideas and refining one's writing.

This book is a successful example of someone taking an area of expertise and expanding the number of people who are helped by it.  The author, as a writing coach of people who struggle to turn their ideas into narratives, is well equipped for the task.  He frequently urges people to overcome their inner perfectionist and start by getting writing on paper (or computer screen) while resisting the urge for premature lopping and cropping.  To be sure, different people have different issues or concerns when it comes to writing.  Some people struggle to write anything and must develop the habits of observing the world and being reflective that generate creative ideas.  Others must develop the discipline of writing out those narratives and getting to completion, while still others must refine those writings and improve them through editing.  Whatever the stage we are at as writers, though, we can always stand to hone our skills and add some techniques to our toolboxes and to find inspiring ideas for future writings, and this book certainly accomplishes its task of encouraging writers to turn their ideas into larger narratives.

[1] https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...

[2] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

[3] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

[Nikki Soulsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up because, as a writer, I wanted to know where people get their ideas. The creative process seems so nebulous. I would love to be one of those people who is bursting with story ideas and who feels incomplete without writing everyday. Alas, I'm the other kind of writer. The one who feels like writing is a chore and who has to trap my ideas while they aren't looking and hope that I've caught a good one.

This book goes through the ideation, outlining, and drafting process for a book (fiction or memoir). I liked the suggestions for how to get the creative juices flowing. The reason for my 4 star rating, which i've been stingy about of late, is that each chapter ends with a ton of great writing prompts. This is a quick and easy read stocked with ways to generate some content quickly. It may not be great content but that's what the editing process is for.

[Emily Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the small size of this book fool you. It is full of amazing ideas as well as encouragement to find and work with the million ideas that are all around you all the time. (The author is also a proponent of three-ring binders, so he had me from the "get go.") I picked this book up from the sale table thinking I might find something useful in it - I found so many things that I can't even list them all. What a great resource. This is one that I will be using again and again!

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

It offers a lot of options for somebody who genuinely has no ideas though, so it does deliver on the promise, as long as you don't mind being old school and analog about it, or making updates as needed. That said it was a slog to get through and feels pretty stuck in the past. Useful for some people, but not something we'll revisit.

[Dorothy Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mini-workshop in book form. Interesting selection of quotes. The book is divided into 2 parts: Strategies and Applications, with writing exercises at the end of every chapter. It is a Writers Digest book.

[Xen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for a new writer but gives little actual new ways to find ideas or how to write them. I did like the notebook set up suggestion but lots of the exercises felt forced to me.

[Bridgina Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't agree with everything, but do recommend it. It is fun and informative.

[Katharine Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorough and inspiring, if a little basic.

[G. Edweird Cheese · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a "how to write a novel" (which is what i need) than an idea generator (i have too many already!!), this guide has a lot of good ideas and suggestions for the beginner novelist.

[Dorrie Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fred White has a easy going style that's a pleasure to read. It almost feels like you are having a chat over coffee. He gives multiple ways to tease out and refine ideas and shows how the various ways build on each other as you develop a complete premise and outline.

I recommend this one, it's a keeper. I believe the exercises will develop ideas and hone writing skills.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Fred White guides the newbie and aspiring writer in ways (keep a writer's notebook) to generate ideas from newspaper articles, books, mythology and other sources then work those ideas into a narrative.

Please read the full review here.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for brainstorming and bringing ideas to life.

[Jess Landau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable and wonderful book to read if you are interested in learning how to write novels. Inspiring, calculated, motivating and full of writing tasks to get you started.