How to Find Story Ideas
Visit the question/answer sites like Yahoo Answers or WikiAnswers., Use pause when you listen to a story., Never be frustrated when you listen to a story., Use the news headlines for inspiration., Listen to conversations., Listen to a song and...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Visit the question/answer sites like Yahoo Answers or WikiAnswers.
It's the place where people exposes their most hidden issues of their life they wouldn't even uncover to their spouse or parents.
You can read psychological or material issues you would never think people can have.
Search on the site using keywords, you will find some stories related to yours.
Only focus on the questions; the answers are far less interesting. , When you read a book, watch a movie alone or view videos on YouTube, take the habit to pause at the most confusing moment.
At this moment, try to guess the following.
Search as many versions as possible.
When you resume the story, your version is sometimes more original than the official ending.
It's not plagiarism if the idea is different.
You can also adapt your new ending to your story, change the names, the place.
Eventually, it will be a completely different story. , Sometimes, you see a trailer movie and you think "Wow! This concept is so original!" You go to see the movie and you discover that the concept is completely another one...
Don't be frustrated! It means that you have found an original idea! Don't lose it. , Find a striking and interesting article that catches your eye, and write about it. , Snippets of conversation can be incorporated into your story. , How does the song make you feel? Happy? Sad? Write about a character you can create from these lyrics, or just write about how it makes you feel. ,, Incorporate your favorite band or singer into it and write about their crazy, funny or sad antics.
You could write about your interpretation of how a certain song came to be.
There are many fan-fiction websites that you can then post your story on, and get reviews. , Flip through the pages and see what you find.
Embarrassing moments? Incorporate them into a story.
Problem/help pages in the magazine? You can use one of those problems for your characters problem(s) and complications. , Imagine what their name is, who they are, their life story etc.
Write about who they really are. , Or you could write an auto-biography! , You can't expect to use your full writing potential by writing on pre-scribbled paper with a really crummy pen, can you? ,). , Mind maps are great for organizing information about characters and events, especially if you are more of a visual person. , TV can actually bring inspiring ideas to mind.
Study the people on the commercials, and think of their life after the commercial has passed. , Find something in their that you can incorporate into your story. , Basically, you write non-stop for 10-20 minutes, writing about whatever comes to mind.
Don't make corrections as you write, and just keep writing, even if you have to write, 'I don't know what to write' until you can write something else. , This is a really good writing activity that can strike up ideas with your friends or family when bored. (- denotes a new line).
Grab a piece of paper, and write three lines about something (eg.
Once upon a time, their lived a bird
- named Andy.
Andy loved fishing, because
- he loved eating).
Then fold the first two lines so only the third line is visible (e.g he loved eating) and then pass it to another person to continue. (e.g he loved eating walnuts- in the summer breeze.
Suddenly- a huge beast from the) Keep continuing this until the page is filled.
When you read back what you have wrote, you will most likely be having fits of laughter; it's very amusing. , Remember, you might not use a paragraph that you have written now, but who knows, in ten years time it might turn out to be the perfect ending for a story of yours. , I remember an author visited my primary school and was talking to us about a new novel he wrote (I forget his name and what it's called!).
He said he was just sitting down at a cafe (I think) with a notebook and pen in his hand, thinking of something to write... when he came up with the idea of a boy who never knew what to write, until he borrowed a strange pen off a boy who was an excellent writer, and when he used that pen his writing became very different. , -
Step 2: Use pause when you listen to a story.
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Step 3: Never be frustrated when you listen to a story.
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Step 4: Use the news headlines for inspiration.
-
Step 5: Listen to conversations.
-
Step 6: Listen to a song and really pay attention to the lyrics.
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Step 7: Sometimes
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Step 8: just writing the title of a future story will make your words flow and create an impressive story.
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Step 9: Write fan-fiction.
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Step 10: Look through a magazine or borrow some magazines from the library.
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Step 11: Look at pictures/photos of people.
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Step 12: Take your real life experiences and incorporate them into your story.
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Step 13: If writing with a pen and paper and not on a computer
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Step 14: having the right stationary can actually improve your writing.
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Step 15: Write about your dreams and wildest fantasies coming to reality (don't worry
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Step 16: you can change the names!
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Step 17: Make a mind map.
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Step 18: Watch TV
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Step 19: with a notebook or laptop on hand
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Step 20: and study the people
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Step 21: TV shows and commercials you see.
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Step 22: If you have/had a diary or journal
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Step 23: look through previous entries.
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Step 24: Try free-writing
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Step 25: it only takes about ten minutes a day.
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Step 26: Make an exquisite corpse.
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Step 27: Always carry a small notebook or a handheld computer with you so whenever inspiration strikes
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Step 28: you will be ready to record it and always have ideas for stories.
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Step 29: Even when short on ideas
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Step 30: there are still things to write about!
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Step 31: Transfer all of your story ideas onto a laptop
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Step 32: computer or a notebook.
Detailed Guide
It's the place where people exposes their most hidden issues of their life they wouldn't even uncover to their spouse or parents.
You can read psychological or material issues you would never think people can have.
Search on the site using keywords, you will find some stories related to yours.
Only focus on the questions; the answers are far less interesting. , When you read a book, watch a movie alone or view videos on YouTube, take the habit to pause at the most confusing moment.
At this moment, try to guess the following.
Search as many versions as possible.
When you resume the story, your version is sometimes more original than the official ending.
It's not plagiarism if the idea is different.
You can also adapt your new ending to your story, change the names, the place.
Eventually, it will be a completely different story. , Sometimes, you see a trailer movie and you think "Wow! This concept is so original!" You go to see the movie and you discover that the concept is completely another one...
Don't be frustrated! It means that you have found an original idea! Don't lose it. , Find a striking and interesting article that catches your eye, and write about it. , Snippets of conversation can be incorporated into your story. , How does the song make you feel? Happy? Sad? Write about a character you can create from these lyrics, or just write about how it makes you feel. ,, Incorporate your favorite band or singer into it and write about their crazy, funny or sad antics.
You could write about your interpretation of how a certain song came to be.
There are many fan-fiction websites that you can then post your story on, and get reviews. , Flip through the pages and see what you find.
Embarrassing moments? Incorporate them into a story.
Problem/help pages in the magazine? You can use one of those problems for your characters problem(s) and complications. , Imagine what their name is, who they are, their life story etc.
Write about who they really are. , Or you could write an auto-biography! , You can't expect to use your full writing potential by writing on pre-scribbled paper with a really crummy pen, can you? ,). , Mind maps are great for organizing information about characters and events, especially if you are more of a visual person. , TV can actually bring inspiring ideas to mind.
Study the people on the commercials, and think of their life after the commercial has passed. , Find something in their that you can incorporate into your story. , Basically, you write non-stop for 10-20 minutes, writing about whatever comes to mind.
Don't make corrections as you write, and just keep writing, even if you have to write, 'I don't know what to write' until you can write something else. , This is a really good writing activity that can strike up ideas with your friends or family when bored. (- denotes a new line).
Grab a piece of paper, and write three lines about something (eg.
Once upon a time, their lived a bird
- named Andy.
Andy loved fishing, because
- he loved eating).
Then fold the first two lines so only the third line is visible (e.g he loved eating) and then pass it to another person to continue. (e.g he loved eating walnuts- in the summer breeze.
Suddenly- a huge beast from the) Keep continuing this until the page is filled.
When you read back what you have wrote, you will most likely be having fits of laughter; it's very amusing. , Remember, you might not use a paragraph that you have written now, but who knows, in ten years time it might turn out to be the perfect ending for a story of yours. , I remember an author visited my primary school and was talking to us about a new novel he wrote (I forget his name and what it's called!).
He said he was just sitting down at a cafe (I think) with a notebook and pen in his hand, thinking of something to write... when he came up with the idea of a boy who never knew what to write, until he borrowed a strange pen off a boy who was an excellent writer, and when he used that pen his writing became very different. ,
About the Author
Zachary Ramirez
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in DIY projects and beyond.
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