Where Ideas Come From

It's interesting to sit back and see where story ideas come from. I was with a friend at a local restaurant-bar last night discussing writing and the life of a writer among other things when the subject turn to ideas and where they come from and the fear that they will one day stop coming along. It's a natural fear I think most writer's experience at some point in their life, especially when the pressure of the everyday gets hard to handle.

I mentioned to her that on this past Fourth of July as I was waiting for the fireworks to begin, a story idea came to me, and me without paper and pen handy (I had left in the car) went over and over the idea in my head, trying to eek out more information from the hero and heroine that had arrived so unexpectedly. Not only was I able to figure out a little about who they were, but why they were there, and I learned that their story isn't the first that needs to be told (now that was a surprise), but the third, and will bloom into a series. She didn't seem convinced. So, I told her to look around at the patrons, there is a story possibility behind each person there tonight, it simply depends on the point of view you choose. Do you choose the bouncers at the door? Or the college guy with his friends? Or maybe one of the girls sitting nearby? Are they watching the game on the big screen or at the pool table? The story will be told, not only by you, but by your characters.

Will one of my characters rise from that night? Maybe. I do know that while we were sitting there, I figured out the inner workings of a secondary character who is turning out to be more important than even I realized. I can't wait to get back to my book.

Ideas, when they come to you, from where ever they come, need to be grabbed and held onto. Write them down and explore them. And if you can't finish it right then, because you have to focus on a different project, you at least have the basic information needed to start on it later.

Happy Writing! Happy Reading!