How to Come Up With Fresh Story Ideas When Your Well
has Been Tapped Dry
BY CATERINA CHRISTAKOS
When I face the desolate impossibility of
writing 500 pages, a sick sense of failure falls on me, and I know I can
never do it. Then gradually, I write one page and then another. One
day’s work is all I can permit myself to contemplate.
— John Steinbeck
I know that it seems easier to make that extra pot
of coffee, read that good book, that you have had in storage for the
last ten years, and suddenly decide to make the kids that Halloween
costume by hand, than it can be to make yourself sit down and write.
Believe me, I have been there.
Here are some brainstorming techniques to get your
brain pumping again and churning out ideas.
1. If you are having trouble coming up with
characters or even a story line, try developing an action scene. One
good scene to kick off your book can get the rest flowing. Develop the
characters and story line around that scene.
2. Come up with a problem to solve. Is your main
character the class clown or the brainiest kid in school. What type of
problem would your character face in his or her normal life? Write your
story around the problem and a unique way of solving it.
3. For character development use common sense. Use
what is in front of you.
Look at your family and friends and see if they
remind you of anything. My first Shakespearean teacher reminded me of a
caveman or a husky walrus because of his whiskers. Does your Uncle
Arthur have whiskers, wear glasses, and walk with a little bit of a
waddle? Turn him into a know it all beaver or a store clerk, at a
bookstore that sells books that you can actually climb into and live out
an adventure.
Does your sister have a talent for jumping rope
and blowing bubbles, with purple bubble gum? Maybe the heroine for your
next book could do the same. Is there a kid in your neighborhood that is
always getting into trouble? Hmm, do you think that the creator of
Dennis the Menace might have known one?
You can use your family and friend’s talents and
their physical characteristics to come up with tons of characters. One
hint though: If you choose to make Uncle Charlie a slug or Aunt Emma a
rhinoceros, keep it to yourself. They may not be thrilled with their
induction into literary history.
Inspiration is all around you, waiting for you to
reach out and grab for your next storyline or character. Use stories
from the news, jokes that your neighbors tell you, the quirky things
that your dog Buster does in the morning.
One final word: Stop criticizing what you have
written down. In these first stages, no one cares if you have misspelled
words or if your grammar isn’t perfect. Just write. The rest will
follow, after your story is done.
Caterina Christakos is the author of
How to Write a Children's Book in 30 Days or Less.
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