Where can ideas come from?

I’m sure so many of you want to write, but when you open up your notebook or laptop or whatever you use to write, you might wonder what to write about.

I have a few pointers that might help you out here. I have some places you can get your ideas from.

Firstly, you can get ideas from things you observe. Imagine you’re travelling on the bus on your way to work. You’re sitting opposite a young couple arguing with each other. You only catch snippets of the conversation, but your mind spins out of control when you hear whatever you hear. Of course, what you think might not be true, but I think you get what I’m trying to say. What you see and hear, and what your mind makes of it, is inspiration for something that could become a short story or maybe even a novel. It could be any genre, but all you had to do was listen. Anything you encounter could become an idea.

Second, you can get ideas from things that you remember. Life is the best story. Life has ups and downs and is interesting. You might think writing about your life might bore people, but I think what matters is the way you choose to talk about your life. Even the most interesting story could be boring, so why can’t a mundane event turn into something captivating? Right now, think of an incident from your childhood that stands out to you. Think about how you could expand upon that and present it in a way that would be attractive. You can use elements of fiction and creative license to make it better. Just remember to have faith in your ability to make your story good.

Third, you can get ideas from thinking “what if.” That one question alone can spawn hundreds of ideas, depending on where you start from. Let’s look at an example. I’m a Vampire Diaries fan, so let’s start there. What if… Jenna never died? What if… Matt became a vampire? I could go on and on. But the idea’s the same. That’s where fanfiction comes from. Sometimes, fanfiction becomes so full-fledged that it can become a full, published work.

Fourth, you can get ideas through collection. Carry a notebook or something and note down things you see, hear, overhear, smell, touch, or anything. What you write down doesn’t have to have a coherent order. But doing this might help you see a pattern that you want to write about.

Here’s the thing, guys. I’ve given you ideas. Now you don’t have any more excuses not to write. Go ahead and get to it. Let me know what you come up with!