5 Ways to Generate Story Ideas

As September begins, we’re already starting to think about prepping for NaNoWriMo. But what if you don’t have any idea what you want to write about when November rolls around? Today, Brooke, a member of our Young Writers Program, shares some of her tips for generating story ideas:

Camp NaNoWriMo has finished, August has ended, and for many folks, school has started again. With summer coming to a close, some people are already plotting and planning for the upcoming NaNoWriMo: Not so much a difficult task as just a time-consuming one, although it can be the difference between reaching your word count before the end of November or falling short of 50,000. The problem is, what if you don’t have any ideas for stories yet? When this is the case, there are many ways of coming up with fresh ideas.

1. People Watch

Characters are supposed to be both realistic and 3-dimensional, so what better way to get inspired than by watching real people? Any public place can work for this, just grab a notepad and try not to look suspicious jotting down the characteristics of complete strangers. The amount of stories that can come from a couple of minutes watching people is amazing, and all it takes is a piece of paper and a little bit of time.

2. Word Association

Start with one vague word, and then begin linking it with others. Repeat the process until an entire sheet is filled with nothing but related words. By the end of the page, themes will have started emerging, and with them hopefully some story ideas. Combine these topics until eventually a supple plot has been developed. The only thing left to do is further the story and write the book!

3. Freewrite

Write a scene that appeals to you. It doesn’t have to make sense, just write it, whatever it is. The tense may stay inconsistent, and the character’s name may switch between paragraphs, but as long as this one scene is something you like, chances are a novel based off it may be equally intriguing. If nothing else, the activity is also good practice for developing a location and characters.

4. Writing Prompts

Writing prompts can be found all around the internet. No matter what social media platform you use, it’s not hard to find accounts full of nothing but prompts and story inspiration. Different types work for different people—scraps of dialogue may work for some, while character inspiration or locations can be more helpful for others.

5. Keep a Journal

I know, it’s common advice, but that’s for a reason. Either buy a small notebook to keep with you, or start a document on your phone. Try to keep it near you, so whenever you come up with a couple of lines of witty dialogue, or think up an interesting plot point, it’s convenient to write it down. Whenever you’re in need of a story idea, then you’ll have pages full of them.

Besides this, always be looking for new ideas. Inspiration is everywhere, so it never hurts to step outside your comfort zone to try some unusual tactics for creating characters, worlds, and plots for your next novel. With all of these ideas and a little motivation, it should be no problem preparing for your next novel by November.

Brooke is an aspiring young author from the United States. She first started writing in 2016, and now, at age thirteen, has written two novels, several short stories, and articles. Other than writing, she spends her spare time learning piano, drawing, and running. NaNoWriMo has helped her both of her books, and will hopefully continue to motivate her for countless more Novembers. Her current projects include a collection of poetry, a science fiction novel, and a fantasy short story.

Top photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash.