What do you think?
Rate this book
Story Sparks: Finding Your Best Story Ideas and Turning Them into Compelling Fiction
Find rock-solid story ideas before you start writing
Anyone who has been hamster-wheeling a story idea for years or has hundreds of pages exploring various approaches on their hard drive knows that there must be a better way. There is. Young adult novelist Denise Jaden shows exactly how to create the captivating stories that prevent dispiriting wasted time. Busting the “visitation from the muses” myth, she shows that inspiration is a skill writers can learn by understanding how story ideas work (or don’t), fertilizing the ground for fresh and sound ideas, and moving swiftly through stuck points. Practical and inspiring, Jaden’s approach celebrates the imaginative sparks that make innovations of all kinds possible while pinpointing the precise tools writers need to fan their unique creative flames.
Anyone who has been hamster-wheeling a story idea for years or has hundreds of pages exploring various approaches on their hard drive knows that there must be a better way. There is. Young adult novelist Denise Jaden shows exactly how to create the captivating stories that prevent dispiriting wasted time. Busting the “visitation from the muses” myth, she shows that inspiration is a skill writers can learn by understanding how story ideas work (or don’t), fertilizing the ground for fresh and sound ideas, and moving swiftly through stuck points. Practical and inspiring, Jaden’s approach celebrates the imaginative sparks that make innovations of all kinds possible while pinpointing the precise tools writers need to fan their unique creative flames.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
184 pages, Paperback
Published August 15, 2017
5 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
About the author
Denise Jaden
74 books490 followersBestselling author Denise Jaden loves cozy socks, cozy cats, and cozy mysteries. She’s the author of several young adult novels, nonfiction books for writers, and cozy mysteries that will make you laugh out loud while dangling at the edge of your seat.
Prior to becoming an author, Denise worked at everything from mushroom farming to acting and Polynesian dancing. Now she does most of her writing in a holding tent in the background of one of the many film sets in and around Vancouver. Sign up for updates, exclusive bonuses, and find out more about Denise, her books, and her crazy cat at DeniseJaden.com
Prior to becoming an author, Denise worked at everything from mushroom farming to acting and Polynesian dancing. Now she does most of her writing in a holding tent in the background of one of the many film sets in and around Vancouver. Sign up for updates, exclusive bonuses, and find out more about Denise, her books, and her crazy cat at DeniseJaden.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 11, 2017
Story Sparks. S.P.A.R.K.S. An acronym of author Denise Jaden’s own making, this concise 166-page book talks us and then walks us through how to come up with ideas and keep the idea train running at full steam.
Seek. Jaden encourages us to change our mindset from coming up with ideas to finding them. Transforming into an Idea Seeker. This means you go out, you search, you look for inspiration. Then when your list feels sufficient, you create. Treating ideas like something to be discovered transformed the idea process into something to enjoy rather than stress over.
Passion. What inspires you? Jaden challenges us to look for what we’re already passionate about and write from that place, rather than writing about what we think we should write. She says for our readers to feel deep emotions, we must write with deep emotions and passion. So, which ideas propel you to write?
Allies. Who do you trust to bounce ideas off of? Anyone? Jaden says we need allies on our writing venture. We need them not only to test ideas but to help spark new ones. But what if our ally steals our idea? Jaden says although we need to choose our allies with care, we shouldn’t worry about idea theft. “Each writer may start with the exact same idea, but each uses that idea to say something unique, perhaps even wildly different or opposed, based on their worldview,” (20).
Resonance. This is the part where we’re warned not to write a book because it’s trendy or selling right now. It won’t resonate. Instead, she says we need to think about what our story satisfies in readers. Don’t worry about the selling part right now, focus on the writing. What about our story will resonate with our readers? Can we make it better? More dangerous? Add higher stakes? Can something go wrong?
Kinetic Energy. At the end of the journey comes the momentum. Action happens first, then momentum grows. Jaden says, “As these elements come together, this ‘kinetic’ energy gives your ideas a unique momentum that will carry you through the actual writing of the story and make the process seem almost easy or effortless,” (31).
And that’s just part one. The following four parts are filled with great tips and inspiration for fanning the spark into a flame, developing the fire along with habits, and useful resources like prompts, themes, and even lists of names.
Reading through Story Sparks: Finding Your Best Story Ideas and Turning Them into Compelling Fiction I stopped multiple times to jot down ideas, brainstorms, and topics to think about. I couldn’t believe how inspired I was—and that was just from reading! I worked through several of the exercises Jaden suggests and found them fruitful. This is a valuable read for anyone battling writer’s block, perfectionism, or just looking for new ways to keep their ideas fresh.
Seek. Jaden encourages us to change our mindset from coming up with ideas to finding them. Transforming into an Idea Seeker. This means you go out, you search, you look for inspiration. Then when your list feels sufficient, you create. Treating ideas like something to be discovered transformed the idea process into something to enjoy rather than stress over.
Passion. What inspires you? Jaden challenges us to look for what we’re already passionate about and write from that place, rather than writing about what we think we should write. She says for our readers to feel deep emotions, we must write with deep emotions and passion. So, which ideas propel you to write?
Allies. Who do you trust to bounce ideas off of? Anyone? Jaden says we need allies on our writing venture. We need them not only to test ideas but to help spark new ones. But what if our ally steals our idea? Jaden says although we need to choose our allies with care, we shouldn’t worry about idea theft. “Each writer may start with the exact same idea, but each uses that idea to say something unique, perhaps even wildly different or opposed, based on their worldview,” (20).
Resonance. This is the part where we’re warned not to write a book because it’s trendy or selling right now. It won’t resonate. Instead, she says we need to think about what our story satisfies in readers. Don’t worry about the selling part right now, focus on the writing. What about our story will resonate with our readers? Can we make it better? More dangerous? Add higher stakes? Can something go wrong?
Kinetic Energy. At the end of the journey comes the momentum. Action happens first, then momentum grows. Jaden says, “As these elements come together, this ‘kinetic’ energy gives your ideas a unique momentum that will carry you through the actual writing of the story and make the process seem almost easy or effortless,” (31).
And that’s just part one. The following four parts are filled with great tips and inspiration for fanning the spark into a flame, developing the fire along with habits, and useful resources like prompts, themes, and even lists of names.
Reading through Story Sparks: Finding Your Best Story Ideas and Turning Them into Compelling Fiction I stopped multiple times to jot down ideas, brainstorms, and topics to think about. I couldn’t believe how inspired I was—and that was just from reading! I worked through several of the exercises Jaden suggests and found them fruitful. This is a valuable read for anyone battling writer’s block, perfectionism, or just looking for new ways to keep their ideas fresh.
October 3, 2018
Completely mislabeled. This book is about finding ideas, not expounding on them. The back of the book implies the latter (the first sentence is 'anyone who has been hamster-wheeeling a story idea for years or has hundreds of pages exploring various approaches on their hard drive ...') That's not the case at all. It's all just how to get ideas. Notable suggestions: learn three personal things about coworkers you don't know, view social media for ideas, think like a kid, think like a teenager, think like an old person, etc. When you have the actual idea, she just assumes that's all there is. Her suggestions are: be positive, beat writers block, have accountability, etc.
This is great if you have like no ideas (why would you want to be an author if you aren't sprouting ideas out of everywhere?) but if you have an idea and want to expound upon it, this isn't for you.
This is great if you have like no ideas (why would you want to be an author if you aren't sprouting ideas out of everywhere?) but if you have an idea and want to expound upon it, this isn't for you.
July 17, 2017
Endorsements:
“Having ‘an idea’ isn’t always enough — successful writers must know how to transform these creative thoughts into convincing fiction. Jaden’s concise and fun guide provides just the spark to do that.”
— Dawn Ius, author of Anne & Henry
“Brimming with practical tips and techniques, Story Sparks is an excellent resource for writers eager to coax out their best story ideas. I found it immediately helpful, and I’ll no doubt return to it time and again.”
— Shari Green, author of Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess
“Story Sparks by Denise Jaden teaches even noncreative types how to collect ideas and turn them into great stories.”
— Lee Strauss, author of the Ginger Gold Mystery series
“Having ‘an idea’ isn’t always enough — successful writers must know how to transform these creative thoughts into convincing fiction. Jaden’s concise and fun guide provides just the spark to do that.”
— Dawn Ius, author of Anne & Henry
“Brimming with practical tips and techniques, Story Sparks is an excellent resource for writers eager to coax out their best story ideas. I found it immediately helpful, and I’ll no doubt return to it time and again.”
— Shari Green, author of Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess
“Story Sparks by Denise Jaden teaches even noncreative types how to collect ideas and turn them into great stories.”
— Lee Strauss, author of the Ginger Gold Mystery series
December 15, 2020
Click to see my video discussing this title.
Click to see the wrap up video that includes this title.
Overall:
This was a really good, short book on generating ideas and building up an idea into something workable! Very good reference to have on hand when you feel stumped or out of inspiration!
Click to see the wrap up video that includes this title.
Overall:
This was a really good, short book on generating ideas and building up an idea into something workable! Very good reference to have on hand when you feel stumped or out of inspiration!
June 14, 2018
I enjoyed this book immensely. The author takes you through all the steps of creating story ideas- to prevent writer’s block and how to combat it, so that it never comes back. With games and creating a habit that will help excel your writing.
Ms. Jaden first defines the elements that create a SPARK; Seek, Passion, Allies, Resonance and Kinetic Energy.
I’ll be honest, the next section of the book is my favorite, the “Generating Sparks” she has a list of games to help your mind not simply wander (though, ahem, some of us can’t help that) but focus it to generate- names or loglines or themes. And if you’re really stuck, she has an appendix with lists including not just name, but settings and themes.
She even takes a chapter to help you select one of those crazy off the wall ideas that you came up with during your fun and games section. It is interesting to note that Ms. Jaden mentions that while writing itself is solitary, the process of being creative doesn’t have to be. In fact, after reading that I found it to be true, I do have select people that I “bounce” ideas off of, just to make sure I’m not going off the rails.
One of her main themes is once you’ve started creating ideas, DON’T stop—make this part of your daily/weekly life, “Keeping that Spark” alive.
[I received a review copy for an honest review- which this is!]
Ms. Jaden first defines the elements that create a SPARK; Seek, Passion, Allies, Resonance and Kinetic Energy.
I’ll be honest, the next section of the book is my favorite, the “Generating Sparks” she has a list of games to help your mind not simply wander (though, ahem, some of us can’t help that) but focus it to generate- names or loglines or themes. And if you’re really stuck, she has an appendix with lists including not just name, but settings and themes.
She even takes a chapter to help you select one of those crazy off the wall ideas that you came up with during your fun and games section. It is interesting to note that Ms. Jaden mentions that while writing itself is solitary, the process of being creative doesn’t have to be. In fact, after reading that I found it to be true, I do have select people that I “bounce” ideas off of, just to make sure I’m not going off the rails.
One of her main themes is once you’ve started creating ideas, DON’T stop—make this part of your daily/weekly life, “Keeping that Spark” alive.
[I received a review copy for an honest review- which this is!]
November 19, 2017
This book is an excellent source when an author needs inspiration; it is an antidote for brain freeze. The ideas presented by Denise Jaden are easy to follow, implement, and can aid one in everyday events. For example, "Sometimes having too many brilliant ideas can overwhelm us, and we need to simplify our choices." Taking ideas, as the author suggests, and laying them out makes understanding and organization so much easier.
Based on a five-star rating, I give it five stars!
1) Buy from the author in the future? Yes
2) Did it keep me intrigued? Yes
3) Story line adventurous, mysterious, and believable? Yes
4) Would I recommend to a family member/friend? Yes
5) Did my idea of the book based on the cover remain the same after I read the book? Yes, I interpret the imagery to mean a writer getting creative and hot ideas on paper
Based on a five-star rating, I give it five stars!
1) Buy from the author in the future? Yes
2) Did it keep me intrigued? Yes
3) Story line adventurous, mysterious, and believable? Yes
4) Would I recommend to a family member/friend? Yes
5) Did my idea of the book based on the cover remain the same after I read the book? Yes, I interpret the imagery to mean a writer getting creative and hot ideas on paper
September 13, 2017
A solid book if you want to write a novel. In 168 pages, Jaden has packed tips, lists, how-tos, and clever suggestions for getting started on your novel, facing your inner critic, handling writer's block (even if it happens when you are 100 pages in), building the book structure, plot, character, and so much more.
There are several appendices on first and last names, obstacles a character could overcome, book themes that help the story arc, and even place names.
It's a good book for novelists, but there are also some clever tips for non-fiction writers. I'm glad I picked this little gem up and read it.
There are several appendices on first and last names, obstacles a character could overcome, book themes that help the story arc, and even place names.
It's a good book for novelists, but there are also some clever tips for non-fiction writers. I'm glad I picked this little gem up and read it.
March 3, 2026
This book broke through my writer's block! (Although Jaden hates the word.) An easy read that has a whole slew of prompts to get those creative juices flowing. She also has strategies to help when you're feeling stuck or not motivated, and ends the book with a set of practices to help you develop a regular practice. The appendixes are full of names, places, motives, obstacles, and themes to help you move your stories in new directions.
An essential tool for any writer.
An essential tool for any writer.
January 11, 2018
This 100-plus page book packs a punch with great ways to generate story ideas through different techniques and exercises. Appendices in the book contain a list of names, places, motives, obstacles and story themes to get you started when you feel stuck. I'm planning to have this book on my desk with my other writing reference books. Quick read and highly recommended.
November 5, 2017
I didnt like this book quite as much as Fast Fiction but it was still great and had a lot of good advice and various tips worth underlining. I will keep it in my permanent collection.
August 8, 2018
This was just what I needed. I was feeling stalled in my writing. This definitely puts the "spark" back into things and now I can't wait to see the results!
January 13, 2020
I truly enjoyed the tips listed in this book. It was a quick and easy read but did take awhile since I was taking notes! Strongly recommend this to any creative personality!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews