I recently read a post by a well-known author about how he comes up with ideas. This has also been the most common question, in all its variations, I received on my AMA. It is hard to not follow author groups on social media and miss the hundreds of references to writer’s block. Since I have a couple of books out and a few on the way, I thought I would tackle this issue.
First of all, I can only talk about what I have read and my own experiences. I do not have an English degree of any kind, and I don’t teach writing. My interactions with other writers are mostly online. So what I write here is about what works for me and what various articles have suggested. I have read that many of the most popular writers out there, such as Stephen King, Brandon Sanderson, and others, do these same things. Other people might be different.
Writing is difficult. I do struggle with spelling, grammar, word choice, pacing, style, and a large number of mechanics. Every book is a wrestling match to wrangle ideas into a good novel. I go over each book hundreds of times making corrections and re-reading passages. Even then I find errors which drive me crazy.
Don’t sit down to write your first or even second draft thinking about all that technical stuff, though. This is how people get writer’s block. Their mind freezes when they put pressure on themselves to write something great at every sitting.
Your first draft will suck. It is the very worst your book will ever be. Accept that and move on. Do not go back and correct your writing until your first draft is done… unless you need to fill out the plot or characters. Just write a story from beginning to the end and stop.
That last statement sounds easy, but often it isn’t. Sometimes while writing, you get stuck. What should the characters do next? How do they get out of this pickle? How do I want the book to end? In my first book, I just wrote as ideas came. The rest of my books used an outline to give the story a direction. You don’t have to be bound by an outline. It can change, but it helps with the big picture of your book.
Still, even if this is what you do, you may wonder, “How do I get an idea just to start?”
Ideas and coming up with ideas isn’t hard once you get into the practice of it. I often start with a “What if” question. What if Cinderella live in outer space? What if I had magic powers? What if fairies were real?
I strongly encourage writers to have a notebook for ideas and world creation notes. I even draw pictures in mine. In this notebook, write down every silly, stupid idea that pops in your head. Some will be good, others will be bad. Don’t decide that until much later.
Ideas can be created by taking any ordinary situation in life and asking “What could go wrong?” Other ideas are just adding magic to a funny thing that happened in your life. Don’t be afraid to borrow from history or classic fairy tales. Some ideas come in dreams or just playing with your kids. I often like ideas that come from ridiculous situations people talk about. Once you get in the habit of recording ideas, more idea come.
No one idea is a novel though. It is hardly even a short story. You must take your collection of ideas and start trying to lump them together. This is why you want to write down tons of ideas. When you have enough ideas put together to have an exciting story, start writing but keep your notebook nearby. As you write, you will find that you need more ideas to keep the story interesting. Your characters will need dimension and personality. Your locations will need to be vivid and unique. Pull from real life and adjust as necessary.
After a burst of creativity, a writer often feels fried. It takes a lot of emotional energy to write. I recommend writing every day if possible. When you are unable to keep writing your story, don’t stop!
This is the second reason people get writer’s block: they get stuck with their story.
Sometimes you need to refresh your mind. At this point, start a short story or a new book. I like having two or more projects going at the same time so I can alternate. If you still feel stuck, read a book for inspiration. Just don’t stop working on your first draft for too long.
There are times when none of those things help give you the ideas you need to move on in your story. At that point, just write trash and keep going.
Seriously?
Yep.
Once you get your rough draft done, you’ll be able to go back and see exactly what should happen in that scene that caused you so much trouble. In the editing phase, you will be surprised at how trash can often transform into some of your best work. Your second and third draft is often a process of major rewriting to focus your plot and characters. You can’t really finish the beginning until you know what the ending will be.
So then the question I get asked is, “Do you get writer’s block?”
The answer is no.
I just write trash until something magical pops out.
Keep writing!
Lara's Wanderings 