How to Generate Ideas for Writers
So, I just finished writing 2 books: one is my first travel journal, my story to find LOVE in 11 cities in the world (Yeap, I know you’re curious!) AND my first biography book, I wrote for my successful serial entrepreneur friend, Denny Santoso (you definitely want to read his success principles!). I’m pretty much in, not only holiday mood now, but also writing mood!
Earlier this morning, I found my old journal where I kept a note of a very inspiring list on how to generate ideas for writers.
I’m pretty sure I get this from some book, but I totally forgot the source. These tips have been my basic ground for writing.
Spend morning in a bookshop or cafe
Keep a notebook to compile ideas
Read ALL kinds of books; yes I still read more than 2 books a day
Break your routines, try to ignite stories
“Steal” conversations from people
Talk to strangers! Talk to people you’re not usually talk to
Put your own stories or personal voice in it
Do online research & be organized
Start with excitements
Ask yourself: “What feeling I want to leave the reader?”
Write down the title that make you focus on the story
Read samples of stories openers in other books
Begin the story in the middle
Lexicon – collect words and its meaning
Tweak clichés
Imagine the story in your head
Discuss the plot with someone else
Write a memo to yourself about the story
Write non-stop for 10 minutes
Write the part that excites you
Change your writing space, write everywhere
Have a daily schedule for writing, I write best in the morning
Make a list to accomplish
Explore: read a lot
Gather: research
Organize: put it together in folders or notebooks
Focus: one thing at a time
Structure: use mind map
Draft: switch off the phone and write, don’t stop until you need to, get the first draft done
Reward: you can update your social media, travel more, etc
Revise: time to edit and make it perfect
If you can say it better, record it first then edit the transcript
Build a story around conflicts and complications
Use mind map to create your story from A to Z, put your topic at the center of the map
If you’re writing a fiction, use 5 parts plan by Robert McKee.
Inciting incident
Progressive complications
Crisis
Climax
Resolution
Research other writers writing techniques
Write scenes in Post-It. Play with it
Create “hills of middle” in the story
Collect good endings from books and movies
Pay attention to the editing part
Check typos
Does the dictions are right for the target readers?
Is there any important questions you haven’t answer?
Is there any leaps of logic?
Recheck every facts
And last but not least: “The act of writing is what makes me a writer.” -Roy Peter Clark
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