Coming up with an idea is usually the first step in any writing process, regardless of writing style. It’s also often an intimidating step, which is why this page exists! There are so many ways to find inspiration, and the process is unique to every writer, but below you’ll find some fun methods to spark creativity and get started. Have fun, and make sure to write down your ideas as you go.
What inspires you?
If you’ve decided to write a novel, it’s likely you’ve got a few story ideas. Maybe you’ve also heard this piece of writing advice: “Write the book you want to read.”
For this brainstorming exercise, pick up a sheet of paper and your favorite pen and write down everything you can think of that you find inspiring. Don’t limit yourself, and don’t worry too much about the specific kind of book you want to write, at least not for now; just turn off your mind and add anything that comes to mind. (Previous lists of mine have included pirates, monsters, found family stories, the Pacific Rim movies, and the sound of clicky high heels; nothing is off limits!)
Once you’ve completed your list, keep it! This is your personal resource, completely unique to you. Maybe you won’t use every single thing you wrote down, but this list is a treasure trove of inspiration to mine whenever you need it. Highlight your favorites and consider how they might fit together to tell a story.
Bubble brainstorming
You might have done an exercise like this one before, but if not, you’ll pick it up in no time. Start with a blank sheet of paper and a pen. In the center of the page, write one core idea and circle it; this could be one of the pieces of inspiration you thought up during the last exercise, or it could be a story idea you’ve had before. It could also just be a single word you want to explore in more detail. Anything works!
Once you’ve written your central idea, keep thinking about it. What else does it make you think of? What other directions could you take the story? Keep adding bubbles, connecting them to the bubble that inspired them. This process is a simple and easy way to visualize your thought process as you brainstorm, helping you trace each idea back to where it started and see how everything connects.
Peeling potatoes
Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted, has a unique way of brainstorming. In her book Writing Magic, she describes how she comes up with her stories:
I don’t have a special author way to get ideas. My ideas, I suspect, come from the same places as your ideas: from experiences, I’ve had, from books, from movies, from dreams, from friends, from conversations … And sometimes your ideas, I bet, seem to pop up out of nowhere. Mine do, too.
I get my best ideas in the shower, because I’m so relaxed in there. I also get ideas when I’m doing something repetitive and boring, especially something physical. If I peeled a hundred potatoes, I’m sure I’d have a few ideas by the time I was done, and maybe one would be for what to do with so many naked potatoes!
Relaxation, repetition, and rhythm let the mind fly free.
Give Levine’s method a try! Peel some potatoes, or hop in the shower, or take a long walk. Leave your phone and any other distractions, and just let your thoughts wander until they stumble upon something interesting.
Write what you know
You may have heard this piece of advice before, but what exactly does it mean? In The Making of a Story, Alice LaPlante elaborates:
Why is this good advice? Because it simultaneously grounds you in the concrete sensory world that is all around you, and discourages you from cliched ruminations on abstract topics. By emphasizing that there can be infinite value, and beauty, and meaning in the ordinary, this advice helps beginning writers avoid the trap of writing about “love” or “despair” and heroic, exotic, sensational topics that reflect popular culture (or the desire to impress) more than honest human experience.
LaPlante’s point is that the most powerful stories we tell are often the ones we’re familiar with, even though they might feel mundane to us. Think about events in your own life that were impactful, or exciting, or interesting, or unusual. Make a list of the first five that come to mind. Examine those events and think about the stories they tell. What do they say about the “characters” within them? What made them so compelling? How might the story change if it’s told from a different perspective, or with different emotional stakes?
Now think about yourself, or someone you know, as a character. What kind of character is this person? A hero? A villain? How would they behave in a fictional scenario? What’s their core motivation, their deepest want or need? What would they do to get it?
Visual brainstorming
For this method, try creating a “vision board” with images that inspire you and help get your imagination running. You can look for images that relate to a specific character or setting, or you can keep it broad and add anything that catches your eye. I like to use Pinterest for this, but you don’t have to! Try a physical vision board, or a photo album, or a collage. Ideas are slippery, so having something to look at can help a lot during the brainstorming process.
What if?
Stephen King famously avoids extensive outlining or planning, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t explore his ideas before writing. On his website, he talks briefly about his method:
I get my ideas from everywhere. But what all of my ideas boil down to is seeing maybe one thing, but in a lot of cases it’s seeing two things and having them come together in some new and interesting way, and then adding the question ‘What if?’
‘What if’ is always the key question.
Try King’s method! If you made a list using the prompt at the top of the page, pick one or two of your favorites. Ask yourself, “what if?” and try to look at it from a new angle. Write down your thought process and explore as you go!
Ten ideas
When trying to come up with a story idea, often the impulse is to stop as soon as you think of something interesting, drop everything else, and explore it. For this exercise, ignore that impulse. Make a list numbered 1-10, then write down ten story ideas. If you love your fourth idea, that’s great, but don’t stop! Keep writing until you’ve finished the list. You may surprise yourself by liking your ninth idea more than your fourth.
The goal with this exercise is to keep going while your creative muscles are working! There’s no such thing as too many ideas.
Want to keep brainstorming?
Go for it! The methods on this page are just a start. There are so many ways to come up with ideas, and every writer works differently. Keep exploring until you figure out which methods are best for you!