It’s the most common question writers are asked: “Where do you get your ideas from?” And it’s hard to answer, because so often an idea just appears, from the ether – usually when you’re right in the middle of another project and can’t afford to get distracted by the new, shiny idea glimmering at the edges of your brain.
But there are some times when you need to be creative on demand. When a publisher or an agent says: “This project isn’t quite right for us, but we’d love to see what else you’ve got.” When you spot that perfect competition with the great prize money, but it needs a short story on a certain theme and you don’t have anything written – and the deadline is next week. When your editor says, “I’ve got a gap in my Christmas schedule for next year – do you have anything that could fill it? I’d need to take it to acquisitions this month.” (That last one, incidentally, is how The Wedding on Mistletoe Island came to pass.)
Of course, the moment someone asks you for a great idea is the moment your brain seizes up and refuses to cooperate. Suddenly, all you can think of is cliched old ideas you saw on telly last night. But there are ways to trick the brain into being creative, to coming up with that next, big idea, just when you need it.
Here are five of my favourites. Try them alone, or combined – and let the ideas start flowing!
Go For A Drive
This one really is about tricking the brain. You know how people say they always have their best ideas in the shower, or somewhere else they can’t do anything about it? This follows the same principle (but doesn’t involve your fingers getting pruny after too long under running water).
The trick is to drive a familiar route, without music or radio on (or the kids in the back, ideally!), and pay attention to the road. Keep your focussed mind on your driving, and let your subconscious wander. And don’t interrupt it too much as it comes back with random thoughts – like the friend’s birthday you need to remember, or what’s for dinner. Let it keep wandering, and eventually it will start coming back with far more interesting things – like ‘what ifs?’ that lead to novel concepts, or characters who could star in your next short story.
This also works incredibly well when you’re stuck on a work in progress. Distracting your mind lets it find its own way out of whatever corner you’ve written yourself into. Just don’t forget to pull over before you start jotting down all your new ideas!
Binge Watch
Some writers don’t like to read too much in the same genre as they’re writing while working on a book, in case they get influenced by an author’s style or ideas. If that’s you, try this idea instead.
TV is a very different beast to novels, in many ways, but at their heart they’re both about story – and what we’re looking to do here is immerse ourselves in story. Pick a show you love, or one you hated the first time, or the new big show everyone is talking about right now. It doesn’t have to be the same genre you write in, either.
But this binge watch isn’t a ‘scroll through social media on your phone and eat popcorn’ fest. (Well, maybe a bit of popcorn.) You need to give the screen your full attention. You’re watching to figure out:
1) What you love about it.
Is it the small town setting? The tightly knit cast of characters? The romance? The blood and gore? The complex twists of the plot? Or even just the sidekick who makes you laugh? Jot it down, whatever it is, every time something cool or fun about the show occurs to you.
2) What you hate about it.
What about this show drives you crazy? Is it the annoying love interest? The unrealistic plot twists? The high school setting where everyone has their own car and way too much money? Write it all down.
3) What you’d do differently.
This is the big one. How would you switch things up in this show? Have the main character fall for their nerdy best friend instead of the high school quarterback? Move the cast from a small town to a city – but keep that close connection by making them a large, sprawling, blended family or two? Have a plot twist go the other way and change everything for everyone? Make the sidekick the lead character instead? You’re the show runner now. What would you do?
Once the final credits roll, it’s time to take your lists and see what you can make of them. This, of course, is nothing to do with copying another person’s idea and turning it into a book (really, don’t do that). It’s about getting back to the fundamentals of story, and looking at all the different ways they can be told.
Take the things you loved, the things you hated, and the things you’d change, and put them together. Is there the seed of a brand new story there, ready to germinate?
Focus on Non-Fiction
Many books have been inspired by real life, and as writers it’s always a good idea to stay alert to the stories happening around us, in case they spark off a new idea in us.
So, soak up the news – especially local news, which is a mine of weird and wonderful happenings – take in a documentary, read up on the latest scientific discoveries, or visit a museum exhibit to find out about the past. Look beyond the headlines and the facts to the people behind the stories – the actions taken that determined the chain of events, the families affected, the way their world’s changed. Find the human connection in the non-fiction.
Again, this isn’t so much a case of re-telling a story that’s already happened to someone (unless that’s the kind of book you want to write), it’s about looking for the what-ifs.
What if that police man had been ten minutes later – or earlier – to the scene of the crime? What if that scientist’s discovery had gone a few steps further? What if that historical event had turned out differently – where would we be today? What does that cryptic personal ad in the paper really mean?
There are stories all around us – we just need to be open to them, and willing to take them beyond the realm of reality and turn them into something new.
Take a Nap
There’s actually some evidence that our brains are more creative when they’re a little tired – but if you’re exhausted, your imagination is simply going to switch off if you start making demands on it. Pushing too hard is a shortcut to creative burn out. So, take a nap – and take a notebook and pen with you, just in case.
The benefits here are actually two-fold. Not only will you be better rested and ready to work, but that place between sleep and awake is where some of the best ideas happen.
Don’t push it, don’t focus on what you’re trying to find. Just let your mind drift and see what comes. Often, it might just be the start of something. A spark. But a spark is all you need to get imagining, scribbling down ideas the moment you wake up.
And if nothing comes? Well, at least you’ve got the energy to try one of the other ideas now.
Forget About It
This idea I think I picked up from the very talented Holly Lisle. I love it because it can be used in tandem with any of the others, and makes them all more effective. It focusses on the fact that your subconscious is far better at coming up with ideas than your conscious mind, so it’s best just to let it get on with it.
To start with, write down everything you know about the idea you need. Word count, genre, theme, character types, anything you think is relevant.
Writing a story for a competition with a limited word count and a set theme? Write down ’Short story, 5000 words, theme of redemption.’ Want to write the next Game of Thrones? ‘Multi book series, 100k per book, complex cast, high fantasy, magic system, also dragons.’ The point is to give your subconscious parameters to work within.
Get it all down on paper – then put that paper in a drawer and walk away. Go for a drive, take a nap, do the dishes, declutter your closet, anything. Just go about your normal life – but keep an eye on the thoughts that float through your head as you do so.
It’s important not to crowd the possibilities that come to you. Your first idea is seldom going to be your best, so acknowledge it, and let it grow and mutate or switch completely. Don’t try to hold on too tight, or your subconscious will think its work is done and move on. Let it keep ruminating, until the idea becomes so strong you can’t help but start getting it all down on paper – and starting to write it.
Good luck with your next big book idea! I’d love to know if any of these tips helped you – and to hear your own tricks for coming up with story ideas. Drop me a line in the comments, or come find me on social media at:
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