Let’s talk about story ideas,and how they form into books. Everybody gets them, even non-writers. How does one go about getting a story idea? I’ll be honest and tell you I have no freaking clue! It just pops in there and won’t go away. You could be anywhere, or doing anything and suddenly it hits you. Even weirder is, sometimes it doesn’t have anything to do with what is currently happening in reality! I’ve had random story ideas occur to me while staring at photos, taking a walk, going grocery shopping, working out at the gym. However you get it it’s always completely random. And let me tell you, random is only the beginning, things just go downhill from there.
So, we’ve got the first part down. That initial lightbulb feeling, where things are just starting to snowball. After that comes the thinking (be reminded that above, I did say things went downhill) where you can’t stop thinking about that one single idea. Perhaps a girl who finds a bloody boy behind her garage, or a young man who’s suddenly acquired magical powers, or a mother who’s struggling to find her missing child. Let the brainstorming begin! Speaking personally, I can never just start out a story from a sole idea and go from there. I have to research, research, research. Where and when is the story taking place? How does it go from point A to point B?
Are there any life lessons learned? Real life events that are transpiring or have transpired during the time setting? Who joins the heroine/hero on their “quest?” So much stuff to consider! Think of it this way, your story is basically a ball of clay (or playdoh, which I personally prefer). Your story idea has slammed it down in front of you as a faceless freak so now you need to give it a face. Write down what you think your characters look like! What their personality is, what clothes they wear. What sort of environment do they live in? (house, bedroom, town, state). You have no idea how crucial the environment is to the story, believe me it can change everything. For instance, a little girl slogging through a blizzard in rags sends out a completely different message than if she was walking through the early morning sunshine, in a frilly dress.
Characters are next, and this is where it gets really hard. Really take time to think about the other people you’ll be writing about. Not just what they look like or how they act, but how the main character reacts to THEM. If your main character has a certain dislike for another person, even though that person may be (in general) a potentially liked character, it could create a myriad of mixed feelings for the other person. To be honest, I think the secondary characters are the second in importance of the story, right after the main protagonist (or antagonist for the daring).
After ALL of this, finally (me myself) sit down and write and write and write. I’m not sure if anyone else thinks this, but I find it supremely difficult to pin a word count to my story. I am only capable of writing and not stopping until I feel it’s finished. Ugh, the writing, endless late nights and cups of coffee. The frustration and hair pulling. It get’s bad, but you still forge on anyways because of that stupid story idea. Am I the only one who comes to hate that little light bulb for a few moments, one time or another?
So, back on track. Your story is beginning to unfold! Perhaps you’ve laid out a ending already, or perhaps you’re like me and fly by the seat of your pants. Either or, your lump of clay has, or will soon have, it’s face. And weirdly enough, all of that drama and thinking and research all came from one little moment. One space in time in the randomest or most convenient of places where you stopped and thought . . . hey, what would happen if. . .? Now I have left out on crucial piece of my boring post. Sometimes, we don’t get a story idea. Perhaps you're too swamped to think of anything else, or inspiration is being a bitch (am I allowed to swear?) and nothing pops up. Well listed below is a compilation of things that inspire me and a few friends. Be sure to share your own! Good luck.
The Duff, Directed by Ari Sandel
Angel’s Egg, Directed by Mamoru Oshii
At the Back of the North Wind, Written by George MacDonald
Ensnared, Written by A. G. Howard
Coraline, Written by Neil Gaiman
From Up on Poppy Hill, Directed by Goro Miyazaki
Feel Me, Sung by Mecca Kalani
I Know I’m A Wolf, Sung by the Young Heretics
Howl’s Moving Castle, Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Alice In Wonderland, Written by Lewis Carroll
Odd Thomas, Written by Dean Koontz
Too Many Faces, Sung by Cherri Bomb
The Great Divorce, Written by C. S. Lewis
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, Written by Holly Black
Stand By Me, Directed by Rob Reiner