For my post this week I decided to talk about ideas, and where they come from. It's a subject that fascinates me because my ideas are a bit thin on the ground. I'm truly envious of writers who say they have enough ideas to keep them going for the next fifty years. WTF!!!! I'm lucky if I have one or two swirling aimlessly around my head at any one time.
One source of ideas for me, though, is my teenage son. The things he gets up to, and has in the past, help me greatly. The staple gun incident.... one of his. A friend and him riding round a farm, one on a quad bike and one on a lawnmower and crashing..... and his friend persuading the owners of the bike/lawn mower not to tell his parents and letting him pay for the damage in instalments...... perfect opening to another book. Swapping keyboards in a computer test so his friend could complete his while it looked like he was doing the work..... ingenius. The trouble is he's getting older and more responsible.... so then what shall I do. I can't rely on my daughter. Apart from the fact she's older she's always behaved herself.....
So, if you write, where do your ideas come from?
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i write small poems, short stories (that one day if expanded, could become books) write down descriptions of scenes i might want to film one day. ( i am currently a film student) However, i seem to draw most of my ideas from music and youtube videos that fans create of shows. i love watching the montages of film, still phots, and with music in the background. I draw on the emotion i feel from the video, the characters interacting, and what the creator was trying to convey or why they made this the way they made it. I just let my mind wander and create all kinds of unreal situations from creations on the net. I also view online galleries and think and wonder about the artist, or why they created this piece of art like they did. I draw on others as well as some personal expiences. You would be amazed at what you can find on social networking sites, from pictures, blogs, and comments. Sites like myspace, facebook, or myyearbook provide more than enough information to create ideas about crazy teenagers and their unbelievable moments of insanity. Hope that Helped
I read a lot of newspapers and also watch human interest type segments on shows like INSIDE EDITION. There's always something to draw from. :)
I pay a monthly subscription to ideasareus.com and they supply me with everything I need (okay, so I totally made that up but it would be a great idea, right?).
Hmm . . . I don't know. They seem to just "happen." I read a LOT . . . total news junkie. And I have always, my whole life, been intellectually curious. That helps, I think.
E
Kayakmango love getting ideas from Youtube.. I hadn't thought of that.
Amanda.... I'd love to subscribe to that too.
Jess we have some human interest shows here in NZ. I must admit I don't watch them.... I think I'll have to start.
Erica - I've always been curious (some people might call it nosey, but they don't understand)
They used to come from my experiences, other people's experiences, things I overhear, see, read, or watch on TV -- but now I'm going to subscribe to ideasareus like Amanda--genius idea!!!
Like Jessica, I get a lot of ideas from the newspaper. Ultimately, some don't stand a chance as a real book, but others seem to take on a life of their own. Then I blend them with memories, experiences, and things I overhear/observe around me.
And if that doesn't work, I pay the Idea Fairy. She's pretty reliable as long as I keep up with the payments!
Like many of you, real life is a springboard for my ideas. I have a Word doc titled "Ideas 4 Books" toI keep track of my ideas, even if just a seed, and go back to to develop or add new ideas. It works for me, though I think ideasareus is a great route as well.
song lyrics, life, the news, the Idea Factory...
I mine old diaries. TRUE. But I change the really embarrassing bits and I'm careful to make real incidents unrecognizable!
I read and travel a lot, and I eavesdrop on people's conversations. (What was that you said about nosey? : ) )
Interestingly, 'where do you get your ideas' or 'how did you come up with that' are the number one questions I get from kids during school visits.
Gerb, I LOVE listening to other people's conversations.....
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