Where do Writers Get Their Ideas?

It’s the quintessential questions writers hear. “Where do writers get their ideas?”

Since I recently decided which project I would like to work on for NaNoWriMo, I have been flooded with ideas. From everywhere. About everything. So I thought I would write a post where all these ideas have come from.

Reading Non-fiction & News Articles. I read a lot of headlines in a day. Most of the time, all the headlines are variants on one another, taking the mystery out of the new words that summarize the whole. However, occasionally, there is an article or headline that snags me. Sometimes, the headline is poorly written and communicates something that the writer didn’t intend. Other times, the topic immediately snags me.

Most recently, a headline gave one of my characters a fantastic backstory as to why s/he is the way s/he is. It makes me crazy excited to write her/him but I don’t have the rest of the plot figured out. This is also not the project I am working on for NaNoWriMo.
Observing Photographs & Paintings. Whether I’m idly browsing online, looking at advertisements, or strolling a gallery, images really do speak more than 1000 words. Sometimes, they have a whole novel wrapped up in them. Recently, an image of a wisteria tunnel I saw years ago bubbled up in my mind, completely revamping the setting for my Dragon book (also, not my NaNoWriMo novel).

Source

Freewriting, Random Style. Sometimes, if I feel really stuck, I will freewrite without an idea of what I want or where I am going. I seize the first thing that comes to mind. Once, I wrote about magical handbells. More than once, I’ve written about depression in ranty prose. There really isn’t a limit. Just diving deep into the first idea and letting it take you away. Sometimes you end up in memories, sometimes you end up somewhere new.
Enjoying Poetry & Songs. This one is a lot like the photographs and paintings section. Poetry and music are great as a means to offer up interesting poetic devices that will prove to be the tiny spark to get an idea started.

Now I want to talk about the ways to get ideas that aren’t the best for me (but you might like them).

People-watching. While sometimes this one can be really entertaining, it takes a long time to find someone that will ultimately spark that idea.
Reading Fiction or Watching Movies. I find that I will be too caught up in the narrative to safely separate my ideas from those I am receiving from the storytelling media.

Okay, so that’s where ideas can come from. But how to ideas really grow into something writers can use?

Showering. The best realizations often come when I’m massaging my brain. Seriously. This is why there is a wax tile pencil in my shower so I can scrawl on the walls if I have to.
Freewriting, Pantsing Style. I use pantsing as a story-centric means of freewriting. My first drafts are usually freewritten where I let the characters do what they want, get hurt, get back up, and keep moving forward. The characters hate me for it. They basically end up yelling at me when something is the worst thing that could happen to them. And then I write more to find out why. Dialogue tirades of backstory and pace-ruining flashbacks from the issues I throw at them tell me more about my characters. I learn who they will confide in, who they won’t, and why. This helps me realize my characters as well as reaffirm certain plot points as essential for character growth while letting me dismiss ones that don’t push my characters forward.
Exercising. Whether it’s a scenic walk or running on the treadmill, it’s a great time to piece together ideas. I actually prefer being on the treadmill with just my music. It helps formulate fight scenes quite well.
Talking it out. The final place where ideas really come together is when I take the time to talk them out with someone. This is really difficult because it means communicating ideas that you know aren’t working to someone who may or may not be able to help you. Sometimes, you don’t even have a firm enough grasp on the ideas to share them in anything resembling concise language. But if you can communicate the ideas to someone you trust to help you build them, not destroy them or match them with other works that will make your ideas seem weak, do it.

Where are your ideas coming from?

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