TOPIC OF THE WEEK – How do you think of story ideas?

[Kathleen]

TOPIC OF THE WEEK 

How do you think of story ideas? How have you thought of story ideas in the past?

 

For me, I have always started with the main character. I would first think of an interesting character and dream up their life.

I would give them an occupation that always fascinated me, a family life filled with mystery and misfortune, many flaws and insecurities, unique strengths, and heartfelt relationships.

After I have made the character way too detailed, then story ideas with this character naturally start to come to me. I start thinking of what events could happen to this character that would be particularly interesting to him/her. I would start thinking of all the things that the character desires and wants to chase after.

And thus, my story idea is born.

So how do you think of story ideas?

 

[Alien and Sojourner in a Foreign Land]

@kathleenramm XD I think of ’em! XD!

*cough* Sorry. Pardon. *cough, gurgle, snort* Ahem!

Okay. I think I’m ready now…is anybody’s stomach grumbling? Because…oh, wait. Nevermind.

Alright: the ways I usually think up story ideas is through my head. Usually, I’ll be reading some book or other, then I’ll start daydreaming a bit, then I’ll start having all these great ideas about fictional worlds and books I like to read, then I’ll stare out the window for a while, usually looking at a particularly strange feature of a red-head wood pecker. Then after a while, I’ll realise my iced coffee as sweat all its ice cubes out, and I’ll have to go replenish its supply. This could take around five minutes or so, in the midst of which, I’ll hum some tune here and there. I’ll come back, plop down in my chair, take up my computer and get situated. Then I’ll spend around thirty minutes deciding what I’ll do after I open the computer, generally asking its opinion every once in a while. Usually, it keeps its lid shut, though that might be for the fact that I’m usually always resting my hand on its top.

After a while I’ll get up the gumption to open the thing, then I’ll flip open a few documents, click a few buttons and get the music flowing. After a while, this could get boring, so I’d advise to all you young bucks out there to get your eyes in shape and start actually reading what the text on the documents say. Then after a while, I’ll be working on a document here and there, then I’ll get down to writing.

Generally, through this whole process, I’ll get down a large amount of great story ideas.

[Linyang Zhang]

@kathleenramm Honestly most of things started out from this world I created when I was a kid. I just created it to escape to; there’s nothing special about it. So gradually as I got older I’d begun developing it and making characters and often if I was reading a book or watching a movie or listening to a song, I’d think, “Oh, it’d be cool if there was that.” And then I’d tweak whatever it was to make it my own.

And I guess that’s still what I do today. Stories just stem from the hundreds of characters that live in my head.

Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days

[Kathleen]

@leon-fleming

*blinks* Woah. That is quite the process.

[Kathleen]

@devastate-lasting

I loved to make up worlds when I was younger as well. (Still do to this day actually).

But when I was little I would envision worlds with as much detail as possible as I fell asleep hoping that I would go there in my dreams. The world was almost always a fantasy world where I was a princess about to go on a perilous journey. XD

But now that I’m older I just write novels to get into worlds. Works much better than trying to dream about it.

Was there a movie, book, or song that was particularly inspiring for you?

[Michelle Black]

@kathleenramm *coughs* Oh man that is hard lol. The simple answer would be I don’t know where I get my ideas. I find inspiration everywhere even when I am in my backyard and look through the slats in the fence and see what the neighbors backyards look like, I imagine that the inside looks like a castle on the beach. Or I imagine a town, but instead, there are no streets, the streets are water, and you have to travel by boat to go anywhere, kinda like a Venetian boat thing:) and I just build from there. *gets scared everyone will think I am strange* No, I am not a crackhead XD

[Alien and Sojourner in a Foreign Land]

@kathleenramm XD! Yeah, you should read my review of Lemony Snicket’s Unauthorized Autobiography.

[Linyang Zhang]

@kathleenramm Ahaha I always wished that I could dream myself into another world (but my dreams aren’t usually vivid so-)

Not really anything in particular that I can remember. I essentially plagiarize everything.

Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days

[Alien and Sojourner in a Foreign Land]

@kathleenramm Did you ever end up having dreams of yourself in your fictional world?

[Kathleen]

@michelle

But that’s what writers do! Notice the small but fascinating things in the world that most people overlook.

Being strange is what writers do best.XD

 

@leon-fleming

Funny enough yes! I was able to dream about my fictional worlds.

Only occasionally and after many efforts, but when I did the world ended up being a lot more interesting than I thought and hoped it to be.

Which was pretty cool, and I also was never myself in those dreams which was also pretty cool.

So yeah, I guess I would recommend vivid dreaming for coming up with story ideas and world-building.XD

You have a review of Lemony Snicket’s Unauthorized Autobiography? I will definitely be reading that.

 

[Alien and Sojourner in a Foreign Land]

@kathleenramm XD! Wish I could do that!

XD Yeah, I’ll say; that’d really help some things. It must’ve aided your visual effects. XD

Oh, yeah, you bet I do; it’s on Goodreads, my reviews.

[Author]

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