Finding That Idea Spark

All stories must start with a compelling idea. Otherwise, you won't find readers.But,howdo you find a GREAT story idea?To start, let's define what makes an idea great, compelling, or high concept (i.e. what publishers and editors dream of). Once you know what you're looking for, it'll be easier to find.According to "StoryFix" author Larry Brooks (which is a book every writer needs to read), a"high concept is a story idea that delivers more originality — and thus, inherent appeal – than what is usually found in that story’s genre."StoryFix  goes on to say that"established genre authors don’t need high concept, their name alone sells their books. But to stand out among a pile of manuscripts that, like yours, are well written and well populated with compelling characters,you need an idea that glows in the dark."Damn, I love that imagery."You need an idea that glows in the dark. "So good.You can read the rest of the article by Larry Brookshere. It has all sorts of interesting information (ex. what might be "high concept" in one genre can be stale and bland as old bread in another genre).SUMMARY OF WHAT MAKES A HIGH CONCEPT STORY:To summarize the things that I've learned from Larry Brooks (and others), a high concept story is:1) Original.This process usually starts with an interesting "what if?" question.As an exercise, let's examine the best seller "ROOM" by Emma Donoghue.WHAT IF you had been abducted, your captor raped you, you became pregnant, and you had to raise your little boy in a 10x10 room?Now, let's elevate the concept.WHAT IF the story was told from the little boy's perspective?BOOM. Instantly high concept. This book blew me away. It was beautiful and ugly at the same time. Being written from the perspective of a child was incredibly creative, and it made the horrifying reality of their captivity seem more innocent.*** Telling a story from a surprising point of view can elevate your story concept. Consider the story you're writing. Is there another perspective you could tell it from?2) High stakes.Ask yourself, what is at stake? WHAT are the consequences if things continue this way?In ROOM, Ma and Jack live in fear of their captor, Old Nick. Old Nick rapes Ma almost every night. To punish them, Old Nick stops bringing them food. He cuts off their power supply. Their nutrition is poor, and Ma's teeth are falling out. Old Nick is well, old. What would happen if he dies, and Ma and Jack are left in there for forever?They need to get out.*** Note: High stakes can exist in comedies too. Consider "The Hangover."Concept: WHAT if you were celebrating a bachelor's party in Las Vegas, and you LOST the groom?HIGH stakes:  The wedding is tomorrow, you can't find the groom, the bride is freaking out, and drug dealers are after you.3) Emotionally compelling.This is related to the point above. You will naturally feel emotional about a high stakes scenario. Think about your favorite books, tv shows, movies, etc. What strong emotions do they elicit in you? Fear? Anger? Excitement? Disgust? Nostalgia?In ROOM, I feel fear (I want them to get out), anger (at Old Nick), excitement (I nearly started jumping up and down at one point), etc.Consider your story concept. Is there any way to make it more emotionally compelling?4) A scenario that can be simply stated.Here is the concept for "ROOM."A boy is born and lives in a 10x10 ROOM, where he and his mother are held captive.HINT:Try to explain your story concept in 1-2 short sentences. If if takes you 15 minutes to explain what your book is about, be prepared to see people's eyes glaze over and make excuses about why they have to go.5) DIFFERENT from story PREMISE.I'll say that again. Story CONCEPT is different from story PREMISE.While premise talks about characters and motivations (ex. It's about a (blank) who wants (blank)), a story concept introduces the scene we walk into. It simply sets the stage. It boils the "what if?" question down to it's most essential parts.Story premise is separate (though connected) to the story concept.I know. This is confusing. My brain still does mental gymnastics trying to understand this. But having an understanding of how concept and premise are different will help you clarify what your story is about.For example, the concept of ROOM is (as above): A boy is born and lives in a 10x10 ROOM, where he and his mother are held captive.The premise of ROOM is: It is a story about a 5 year old boy named Jack who helps his mother escape from their captor, Old Nick, and the 10x10 room that they're held captive in.BIG Secret:When you figure out what your story is about (i.e. the concept  & basic premise) you'll have a MUCH clearer picture of what where your story is going, and a MUCH easier time telling others what your book is about.Ok, good. Now, let's start looking for ideas! You can find story ideas pretty much anywhere. But here's a good list to get you started.IDEA SOURCES:1) News headlines. I tend to look at things that are trending on Facebook.2) Consider the times you've felt a strong emotion.Can you remember a time when you felt really angry?Embarrassed?Betrayed?Uncomfortable?Disgusted?Elated?Scared?What about a time when you had a "eureka!" moment?Or a time that an opportunity came knocking on your door?Or a time you felt compassion?Take a few minutes to jot down a few simple sentences. This is story gold.3) Write down 100 things you're scared of. At first, I thought this was pretty dumb and hokey, but you know what? It TOTALLY worked.  I've only done 50 so far, but I've come up with some awesome idea sparks!So that's about it.Writers, where do you find ideas? How do you know that you've found a good one?Comment below!