Ideas by johnhain

“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” – John Steinbeck

Have you ever read or watched something and wondered where the writer got his or her ideas? Or worse, have you ever wanted – or needed – to write something but couldn’t think of a good idea? The only thing worse than asking someone where they get their ideas is trying to find them yourself.

At some point, every writer faces this question; where do you get your ideas? Since the answer “my warped and fevered mind” tends to put most people off, you have to give a tamer reply.

Ideas Can Be Found Everywhere

Ideas, imagining the unimagined, are the reason we have the society we live in today. Asking “what if” took those ideas and either made them better or made them horrific. For example, someone had the idea of removing the horse from the carriage and giving it an engine. One person asked “what if?” and added a cot and medical supplies; it was an ambulance. Another person asked the same question and added a large gun and ammunition; this became the tank. Someone had an idea to build a house; someone asked what if it had windows. The list of ideas followed by what ifs is endless.

Conversation Mining

Listening Statue by couleur

Beyond asking what if, another place you can glean ideas is from listening to conversations. I am not encouraging eavesdropping, but hearing snippets of people’s discussions is nearly impossible mainly because a lot of people today no longer practice common courtesy or the art of whispering.

At the other end of the conversation suggestion is the podcast. I have recently started listening to Writing Excuses, a podcast about writing. I am only up to season 2 while the podcast itself is up to season 19. Brandon Sandersen, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler started this podcast, and trust me, they are both knowledgeable and entertaining. I have had several ideas for posts pop up while listening.

The key word is listen.

Any News is Good News

Back in the day, we only had a few sources for the news. We could watch the 6 o’clock news on our local television channels, followed by national and international news. The other source of news available to us was the daily newspaper. Today, the news is unescapable. It’s on our phones, our computers, our radios, and our televisions. It has even taken over the conversations of a large part of the population.

If your chosen genre is political intrigue, then you have hit the motherlode of ideas. The news also lends itself to mystery, romance, and, with a bit of tweaking, even fantasy and science fiction.

Looking At Your Own Life

What have you done with your life? If you have led a more active lifestyle, you can find ideas based on your own experiences. Have you engaged in extensive travel? Are you an outdoor enthusiast? Perhaps you have had interesting encounters with people while engaged in your various outdoor activities.

Perhaps you have hobbies that lend themselves to writing ideas. When we are passionate about our hobbies, we tend to learn as much as possible about the things we enjoy. I know collectors research the things they collect so they know whether an item is genuine or fake.

Suppose you are more of an indoor person. That’s perfectly okay. If you enjoy baking, I have read more than a few books where food plays a big part. A few of them even added recipes at the end of the chapter if the food is a part of the story.

Even if you are confined to your house because of sickness, you can write. As a child, I was allergic to just about everything; there was even a limit to the amount of sun I could handle. This meant I spent a lot of time inside. I imagined worlds where no one got sick and worlds where everyone was sick.

Don’t think that just because you think you live a boring life you can’t find ideas. You just need to do a little searching.

From Page to Screen (and Other Media Outlets)

Movie Tickets by igorovsannykov

These sources produce a great number of ideas. A lot of these, or rather, most of these ideas come from the question, “what if?” Numerous people, me included, have read stories or watched movies and wondered what if they ended differently. Another question we’ve asked is “what happened next?” These questions are the reason fan fiction is so popular. (Most of my fan fiction stories revolve around the DC Multiverse, particularly the years immediately following the 1985 series “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” My stories can be found at 5Earths.com; just look for stories by Lee or Drivtaan.)

Look at the many movie franchises. One of the things they all have in common is someone looked at the source material and asked, “What if?” Whether it was “what if we explore this avenue?” or “what if we give everything a reboot?” someone asked the question. Most of the time, a second question follows, “Will it make us more money?” but still, it is curiosity that expands the story.

Look at some of the iconic characters writers created during the last century. Even though their creators are long gone, writers are still recording their adventures. Most of these writers do so because they love the characters. I have been reading some Sherlock Holmes tales by James Lovegrove and they are fantastic. His love for the characters comes across as you read them.

Building a Better Muse Trap

The Greek Muses by wikimediaimages

You may have heard writers credit their ideas to some mysterious muse and wonder where you can get one of those. For those of you wondering what a muse actually is, let’s see what the dictionary has to say about it.

Muse (noun)

1. Classical Mythology.
2. Any number of sister goddesses, originally given as Aoede (song), Melete (meditation), and Mneme (memory), but latterly and more commonly as the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who preside over various arts.
3. Any goddess presiding over a particular art.
4. (sometimes lowercase) the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like

(lowercase) the genius or powers characteristic of a poet.

While I believe in divine intervention, many of the goddesses in Greek mythology are fickle and petty. When struggling to put pen to paper, the last thing I need is to rely on someone with those qualities. I think I do have a muse; we just aren’t on speaking terms. Ray Bradbury once said, “To feed your Muse, then, you should always be hungry about life since you were a child. If not, it is a little late to start.” Perhaps my muse died while waiting for me to seek it out.

I am in the minority, however, when it comes to having a relationship with a muse. Homer and Plato believed in them. Terry Brooks and Maya Angelou have all spoken of visits by their muse. Numerous artists and musicians claim to have one as well. Let me just say this – a muse is often a pain in the backside. They seem to come and go according to some nefarious timetable that in no way coincides with the writing schedule I use.

Recently, I decided to rethink the muse issue and came up with a solution; if I can’t find my muse, I will take a page from “Frankenstein” and build one. The question is how? If you are already doing the aforementioned ways to find ideas, you are on your way.

Rather than make you go back and reread everything, let’s make a list.

Building My Own Muse

1. Listen – Pay attention to what people say around you.
2. Watch – Watch people, movies, television, everything, but watch with curiosity.
3. Read – Look at the way others write, and what they write. Genre choice can generate its own ideas.
4. Write – Writing will not only help you to grow as a writer, writing continually can help generate more ideas.

Capturing Ideas in the Wild

Idea Trappers from freestock photos

You never know when an idea is going to come to you. In the old days, I would carry a notepad and pen everywhere. Ah, who am I kidding; I still do, even when I have my phone and laptop. I take it with me to work, family gatherings, trips, even to church, although I don’t usually jot anything down until the service is over.

Although the notepad is my go-to means of keeping track of ideas, I have made use of the Notepad app on my phone. Aside from the obligatory ad, it is actually a pretty nice app.

The key thing to remember is always be prepared; you never know when an idea or ideas will come to you.

And Introducing…Writing Prompts

Inspiration by geralt

So, I thought I would try something new with this post and offer a few writing prompts. Three is a good number, so that should be enough, hopefully, to give you a few ideas.

1. Your character is a teenage telepath. A big dance is near, and your date suddenly says they can’t go because something has come up. Even though it is a bit unethical, you scan their thoughts and find they are telling the truth. What is their reason?
2. A storm is coming and many people in the low-lying areas are heading to higher ground. A car breaks down in front of your place and a woman carrying her baby asks to ride out the storm with you. You agree but soon discover something very odd about your guests. What is it?
3. Aliens have abducted you, but they don’t intend to probe you. They say you have a specific skill they need you to teach them. What skill do you have and why do they need to learn it?

A Final Word of Encouragement

Sometimes the ideas flow and sometimes they don’t. I hope this post will keep the ideas flowing for you.

by

The post Ideas, What Ifs, and Building Your Own Muse appeared first on Downjot.

The Gulf of Mexico from my balcony.

Travel and writing are two of my passions. Somewhere on the internet in an unpublished holding pattern, I have a site that combines the two. I have a few posts almost ready to go, but they are setting on the backburner. Don’t worry; they won’t be appearing here. You probably feel like your GPS just lost its signal and are wondering where this is going. We are going to see if it is possible to maintain one while engaging in the other.

Let me start by saying this is not the post I had intended to make. After my last post, I had intended to reintroduce my readers to a quartet of women writers. These women each left a mark in the field of literature in one way or another. Unfortunately, I found myself with less research time than I would like. Rather than shortchange these women with only a partial bit of research, I decided to save the post until later. To post based only on the research I have done thus far would be a great disservice to these women. As to why I lack the necessary time to do these ladies justice, you have probably guessed; I am going traveling.

Of course, these plans placed me in a bit of a quandary; what do I post instead? Since travel is the disruption, although a pleasant one to be sure, I thought the situation lent itself to being the perfect topic. So, let’s jump in and see if it is possible to combine travel and writing without much difficulty.

Preparing for the Journey

Actually, it isn’t that hard to combine the two. All you need is paper, a pencil (or pen), and somewhere to go. Unless, of course, paper and pencil are too old school for you. On a personal note, most of my writing originates with paper and pencil. It was my intention to progress through the ages, from paper and pencil to typewriter and so forth until we reached the laptop, but I decided against it.

Okay. I will pause just long enough to share an interesting tidbit about the typewriter.

Vintage typewriter by ha11ok.

Samuel Clemens, better known to us as Mark Twain, was a strong proponent of the device. Mr. Twain’s Life on the Mississippi, written in 1883, was the first typewritten manuscript. History states it was typed on an 1874 Sholes & Glidden typewriter by Twain’s secretary, Isabel V. Lyon. My digression is over.

So, since we have modernized our means of writing, let’s update my previous statement. All you need is a laptop and somewhere to go…and a charging cord. Oh, and access to Wi-Fi, if you intend to submit or post what you have written. Or, if you need to research something else. Given the price of a good laptop, you need something designed to carry and protect it. Don’t forget your wireless mouse and, of course, batteries for the thing. Might want to grab an external storage device, as well. You need to back things up.

So, I’m sure you see where this is going. While preparing what writing equipment you will need isn’t as detailed as planning your trip, it is just as important if you intend to write while you are gone. For the record, my writing backpack usually has my laptop, cord, mouse, a storage device or three, a couple notepads, three or four pens, and a folder with handwritten research notes. Oh, and a snack or two, plus at least one book to read. The key is to make sure you have everything you might need.

It’s a Vacation, Why Write at All?

That is a valid question. After all, the purpose of a vacation is to get away from everything and give your mind a break. There are times, however, when you might not have that option. Deadlines, for example. When your article has to be done at a certain time, then you have to finish it.

Seriously, though. Aside from deadlines, why should you write while on vacation? From a personal perspective, vacations are a rejuvenation not only of my body, but of my mind. For me, vacations are a source of inspiration. While working on my old blog, many ideas for posts came to me while traveling.

Take, for example, my latest vacation. I spent a few evenings and a couple mornings on a balcony with an open laptop, a cup of coffee, and the green waters of Florida’s Emerald Coast filling up my field of view. The Gulf’s ire was stirred up, thanks to Tropical Storm Arthur gathering strength along the coast of Texas.

Looking back at the shore.

Looking out at the constant waves and hearing the sea’s roar, I couldn’t help but wonder what was being stirred up deep beneath the rough surface. (And, yes, the Gulf of Mexico is technically a sea.) What if the remains of some ancient civilization were about to rise, or some angry kaiju? Could it be the start of an unprecedented storm that would bring about massive destruction? The ideas, though not generally pleasant, were surfacing with ever more frequency. Naturally, I made sure to jot a couple of them down.

As most travelers know, vacations do not necessarily mean rest and relaxation. While some are content to take it easy and lounge by the pool or soak up the sun on the shore, others are active from morning to night. Most of my vacations tend towards the latter. Rather than sit and fume about the amount of time others take to get ready, I often write. After a long, stressful day when I need to wind down, I will write some more. Most of the time, this writing is done old school with pen and paper.

Perhaps the whole purpose of your vacation is simply to get away so you can write. Some writers will head to the mountains with the intention of leaving the noise of the city behind. I have thought about taking this type of vacation, but I am not wired for it.  My preference is to get out and wander the hill (collecting ideas) than spend the whole day in a cabin writing. I also have to take into consideration the fact I wouldn’t be traveling alone. And speaking of which…

Writing and the Vacationing Family

Unless you are a member of the single class, the majority of your vacations will be with family. Whether your vacation is with just a wife or a fiancé, or if it includes the family (and then some,) your writing plans have to change. And there is nothing wrong with this. After all, they are going on vacation as well.

So, how do you adjust your writing schedule so you can spend time with your traveling companions? First, let them know of your intention to write from the beginning, include it in the planning of the trip. Let them know if you intend to write in the morning or the evening. If you are a morning writer, plan on getting up first and getting ready for the day; it might surprise you at how much writing time you have. I’m sure you are going to have at least one member of the party who takes forever to get ready. On the other hand, if you write in the evening plan dinner accordingly. At the end of the day everyone will be ready to wind down; writing is a good way for you to do that.

My family looking for seashells at night.

What if your vacation is one big road trip? I have family who are on a mission to visit the entire continental U.S. in their motorhome. Traveling to a different place day after day requires a bit different planning. If you are the driver, you have to worry not only about reaching your destination, but you also have to worry about reaching it safely. Occasionally, things will occur along the way. You might find yourself stuck in construction traffic moving at a snail’s pace; this can throw your schedule way off course. An accident might slow or halt your progress. Or worse.

On a more positive note, you might spot a road sign advertising some historical site. Perhaps you feel the need to detour long enough to try the 5 lb. cinnamon roll. There are always rest stops that need visited, whether it is to stretch your legs or, well, other, more personal, purposes.

If you are not the one in charge of driving, and your stomach won’t be too drastically affected, you could always break out pen and paper. I’ve done this quite frequently over the years. If you are a passenger, writing while traveling is a good way to pass the time. It also means you will need to spend less time in front of the laptop when you reach your nightly destination. It is quicker to enter what you have already written than to write in the moment.

But What If I Don’t Write

Let’s assume everything is against you. You are the driver or your days are planned out from sunrise to past sunset. Unfortunately, I have been there.

The ever-handy notepad. by World-fly

There are a few problems with not writing. If you are contracted, you will probably miss your deadlines. You also run the risk of losing your momentum,

especially if you have finally nailed down a good writing routine. Worst of all, you begin questioning why you are writing at all. I know this sounds like an extreme scenario, but it happens. (Fingers pointing back at me.) If it was so easy to put aside for a week, is it really what I want to do? I have actually struggled with this a few times. The negative part of life intrudes and, suddenly, doubt creeps in. I find myself asking, “Why bother?”

So, how do you prevent this drastic scenario from coming to pass? I fall back on what has been called a cliched piece of advice; I carry a pen and notepad with me everywhere. Vacations, family gatherings, weddings, funerals, yes, you read that right. My family knows of this habit and have often asked to borrow them to write down names, addresses, or phone numbers they need to remember. Do I pull them out at the exact instant the idea hits me? No, but I do at the first possible moment.

Time to Pack It Up

Traveling and writing are compatible but, like everything else, you need to do a bit of planning. Make sure you have the necessities when combining the two; no one wants to reach their destination and realize the computer cord is still on your desk. Remember, your main objective is to take a break from the everyday routine. Don’t let the stress of forgetting something ruin your trip.

Oh, and keep that notepad and pen close at hand.

by

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