How do you generate ideas for your novels?

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Coco82

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This might sound simplistic, but I get a lot of my ideas from reading others' work whether fiction or nonfiction and watching the news. That's just me though. Also as others said writing in my WIP brings other ideas.
 

tko

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a few suggestions

Read, read, read. The news, the internet, blogs. Keep inputting new facts. There are so many weird and strange things in the world - truth is stranger than fiction. I could give you a dozen links to stories you could write a book around.


Stimulate your creative side. We all have times and conditions where we are more creative. Me, I go running up a 2000 foot mountain my music turned up all the way. I always get a few good ideas, and I carry a tape recorder to record them (otherwise they're like dreams, gone in the morning.)

Think, think, think. Don't watch TV. Don't text. Don't replace thinking with mindless stuff that kills time. Get bored enough, you'll come up with ideas. Go for a drive, a walk, a mall, think about what you see.

When you get a good idea, keep worrying on it. That's the hard part. Don't stop thinking. Refine it, polish it, push it, test it.

Talk to yourself. Have conversations. Fantasize. Make up friends.
 

Jamesaritchie

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I have an MA in national security studies and am a Freemason. Many of my ideas come from that background, especially the truth and the ridiculous claims about my fraternity.

An MA in national security studies, AND you're a Freemason. This is exactly what the conspiracy theorists point to as proof.

And one would, of course, expect a Freemason to deny such claims, and even to use writing as a way to spread disinformation.
 

Hilldawg

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I would also like to write the next Hunger Games. But alas, I suppose I won't know if my ideas are epic unless I give them a try.

Here's how I've generated ideas for my current WIP:

  • The initial idea occurs to me usually after watching a movie or reading a book. It may be an idea semi-related to what I've seen or read or it may be totally different. For example, I finished Jonathon Maberry's Rot & Ruin and began to wonder what a completely walled-in town might be like many years after a zombie apocalypse.
  • Thinking this was going to be my premise, I began to sketch a map of my imaginary town. Then I started to think about how life might be inside that walled-in town. I sketched and drew and scribbled notes and images. I thought about logistics and technology and traditions and on and on. Somewhere along the way, my premise morphed to something entirely different. No zombies and no completely wall town.
  • Then I began to create my main character. I realize this may be counter-intuitive to build a character afterwards especially since I've decided that my story will be character-driven, but that's how it happened for me.
  • For further ideas, I just follow my character's line of thoughts (in my head). I write down all the possible ways a situation could go (or at least all the ways I can imagine) and then I write down all the possible decisions my character can make. Kind of like creating a choose your own adventure. And then I choose the one that seems the most surprising and strong...the one that just feels right.
  • And then sometimes when I can't imagine what might work in advance, then I just sit down and start writing and try out different scenarios.
Anyway, that's my method. And we shall just have to see if I can make it work.
 

richcapo

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An MA in national security studies, AND you're a Freemason. This is exactly what the conspiracy theorists point to as proof.

And one would, of course, expect a Freemason to deny such claims, and even to use writing as a way to spread disinformation.
So mote it be.
 

FOTSGreg

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I believe it was Harlan Ellison whose response to the same question was "Scenectady" (however that city's name is spelled - too lazy to go look it up ,right now).

You want an idea for an awesome story? Look in this forum's "First Line" challenge. Or look down in the Horror or SF&F forums for the same threads.

Come up with a great line. Write it down in a notebook. Let it simmer awhile. Months or years later you can come back to the notebook, read through it, and Bam! there's a great idea sitting there waiting for you.

Ideas are everywhere, but they're just ideas without execution. You can't even copyright them.

Here's a few ideas thrown out at random to get you (or anyone else started),

It's Friday night. The band is playing on-stage at the bar and everyone's having a good time when a man (or woman) staggers in, covered in blood and in shock...

Patrons in a bar or restaurant are trapped by a zombie outbreak. Much hilarity ensues...

Machines are suddenly possessed by an alien intelligence and turn against their masters (see Killdozer (Ted Sturgeon as I recall) and Trucks (Stephen King)).

A man And his girlfriend argue and she walks out. He receives a premonition and must race across town to prevent her untimely death (see Nickelback's music video, also Shinedown's).

A ragtag refugee fleet struggles to survive relentless attacks by their alien enemies, who are closer to them than they think, while searching the stars for a mythical home world (Battlestar: Galactica anyone?).

With political feelings running high on both sides of the aisle several states decide to secede sparking a second American civil war when the POTUS decides to put down their state if disobedience by force (State Of Disobedience)

A smoker starts seeing aliens everywhere when he accidentally switches brands (The 10 O'Clock People).

The world is suddenly invaded by a wave of hungry and bloodthirsty things that look like classical fairies. The last group of survivors struggle to survive (Adam-Troy Castro's Locusts)

A turkey hunt is disrupted by a man staggering out of the woods, haggard and torn. At a nearby Ranger Station he tells the tale of a hunt that found something very strange (G W Ellis' Survival)

A man imports and tames a hyena and trains it to attack and kill on demand. He sets it loose on the township then gains fame for killing the beast with a silver bullet (this really happened in 1500s France).

A killer beast is on the loose. It looks and acts like a panther, but it's powerful, ripping through barn siding to attack sheep, scaling fences to attack horses, but elusive, leaving only slaughter in its wake and tracks in the snow. The toll is mounting and it's only a matter of time before it starts taking human victims. The only hope for a small community lies in a washed-up alcoholic vetwho's got one good leg and a death wish.
 

Todd Young

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I get most of my ideas when I'm reading. I'll be in the middle of a novel, and I'll think, yeah, that's a good idea, but maybe like this -- like I take the idea and run with it. I keep a notepad on my night table, and I write my ideas for novels in it, then I put them in a word document. I have almost 200, far more than I could ever write.

The only way I know whether something is good or not is by how excited I become by it as I write it. If it's working, it keeps getting better.
 

ebennet68

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I get ideas from reading, watching television, people watching, etc. but mostly by listening to the voices in my head.
 

me-a-monsteR

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I go out in the world and observe people, places and things. I'm that girl who stands and stares at a tree that shed its leaves for the winter;). I talk to myself (mostly arguing out plots). Conversations with other people also help. All these things generate ideas.
ETA: Oh and I read.
 

TNTales

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I often get quirky ideas when I see something on the news or overhear a conversation. The other day I dropped a pill and I imagined that he was rebellious and his brother pills actually believed in sacrificing themselves for my health. But this one rebelled! I dunno what happens.

As to death games you can go back to "The Most Dangerous Game" a short story from waaaaaaay back in 1924. Nerd moment over.
 

REMLIG

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Writers group empowerment

I write nonfiction. I write what I know and it come really easy to me. Ideas pop into my head and the shower is a magical place, I agree.

But, I am in several writers groups and they are almost all novelists. They have been bugging me to write a novel. I don't have a clue of how they just seem to tap into and channel their characters and story lines so easy and keep it all straight. It's like they are living the novel in their head. For me I don't know how to do that.... yet.

I have had no clue how to start or what my story would be about. So I asked them to help me. I picked two character my hero and heroin and asked the writers group to fill in about half a dozen character sketches I brought to the group one night. I asked them for a challenge to give me some wild and interesting character and I would form the novel around them. At the bottom of the character sketch I gave them the option to select what they wanted the novel to be about mystery - romance - crime - thriller - horror and etc.

It was like magic for me all of a sudden it clicked.

I have since brainstormed with the group about my storyline. I now have my plot, sub plots and all these great characters for a romantic mystery thriller. I'm so excited. Now I'm learning so much that I didn't know about fiction. Its great.

So for me my ideas came from the writers group challenge.
 

frankiebrown

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I ask myself, "what if?" What if the earth suddenly attracted a second moon? What would happen? What would happen if the people who talk about global warming are right and the world was plunged into another ice age? What if some crazy new radioactive food additive gave people super powers? What if the Union lost the civil war? What if Germany won WWII?

Stuff like that. As someone said above, I know that an idea is a good one if I can't get it out of my head.
 
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