We look high. We look low. Sometimes it feels like we’ve been looking forever and will keep looking forever more.

Ideas. They’re out there and we know it. But where are they hiding? Why do they keep escaping us? How can we catch them?

Writing ideas are not always easy to come by. Most ideas get tossed aside because they’re not original or interesting enough. So we constantly search for ideas that will capture our imaginations and keep us happily tapping away on our keyboards.

Not every writer is on this quest. Some writers are overwhelmed with inspiration and can’t find enough time to realize every brilliant idea. The rest of us are always on the lookout for exciting writing ideas to add to our inspiration archives.

Writing Ideas are in the Palm of Your Hand

By simply living on this earth, you’re surrounded by air and water and writing ideas. Isn’t it funny how sometimes we don’t see what’s right under our noses?

Creative writing is a funny thing. If you look too hard for writing ideas, they’ll elude you. But if you go about your business with an open mind, they’ll suddenly start turning up everywhere.

The list below is nothing new — just some reminders that in your everyday life, there are endless streams of sources from which you can draw inspiration. After you read the list, go about your business and try to forget about coming up with new writing ideas. Let them come to you.

This is Where They’re Hiding

1. In your journal or notebook: How often do you go through and look at all the notes and ideas you’ve jotted down?
2. In your diary: You may not want to write your memoir or biography, but you might find some bits of dialogue or ideas for character traits buried in your diaries.
3. Family: Who do you know better than your own family? They can give you ideas for characters, plots, and themes.
4. Friends: Everyone has a friend or two who have had some wild experiences. Borrow those experiences and give them to your characters.
5. Coworkers: You have just enough exposure to them to write a character sketch, and there’s just enough mystery that your imagination can fill in the blanks.
6. Neighbors: Why is their garage light always on? What’s in that enormous shed in their backyard? And who’s that weird looking visitor who’s always stopping by? You watch them and wonder about them. Now make up their story and write it down.
7. Nature: You’re on a walk and pick up a pretty leaf or unusual rock and stare at it. Instead of taking it home and putting it on a shelf, start asking yourself some “what if” questions. Like, what if this isn’t a rock, but a planet? Or what if this leaf is sentient?
8. Space: Lie under a starry night sky, and how can you not get filled up with writing ideas? What’s out there? Who’s out there? How far does it go?
9. Books and movies: We’ve all read books and seen movies that were clearly spawned from other, more original books and movies. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great writing ideas in them. What if the character had made a different choice at the beginning of the film? What if the novel had a similar plot but a completely different cast of characters?
10. Music and poetry: Don’t ask me how this works or why. Just know that it does. Reading poetry and listening to music relaxes your mind and opens it to countless creative possibilities.
11. Writing exercises and prompts: That’s what they’re for — generating writing ideas. You can buy books of them, search them out online.
12. Dreams: Before you fall asleep, ask your dreaming self to come up with some new writing ideas. Get some books on dreams (lucid dreaming, for example) and before you know it, your dreams will become the reality of your writing world.

Where Do You Get Your Writing Ideas?

Do you have any favorite places to look for writing ideas? When you’re stuck with plot or character or can’t come up with the last line of your latest poem, how do you resolve your creative block?

Source: writingforward

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