Where Did you Get THAT Idea? Five Ways to Romance Your Muse

A friend recently asked me where writers get their story ideas from. Tricky question, that. It's one of those that should be easy to answer, but turns out being more complicated than you'd think.

Where do writers get their ideas, anyway? 

That's the easy part. I get probably most of my ideas from reading or watching and wondering, "well, but what if...?" The rest of it just comes from exploring my imagination as if it were a world described in the books I like to read... which goes back to largely what I've been reading in the first place.

The seeds of our stories are all around us. Inspiration can really hit us from any direction at any time.  It's our choice as to when, where, and even how we cultivate these ideas and make them our own. But how does it work? Can we do it on demand? Here are five ways I cultivate my own sources:

Bore the Reader

Boring is a lot more awesome than people give it credit for being. Why? Because it's where we start. It's where we pick up our readers before we take them on the pulse pounding thrill ride we haven't quite written yet. 

Try this: describe a completely flat and boring situation. Now fold in a detail or two that makes it less boring. Keep introducing elements one by one until you no longer feel like poking your eye out with a sharp pencil. Continue until you have enough interesting details to launch your story, which by now is unique and awesome instead of boring.

The Path not Taken

Have you ever been excited by a story you read or watched in the movies, but disappointed by the way part (or all) of the story was handled? If you can picture the story that should have been told, there's no reason you can't tell that story yourself, in your own world and with your own characters. 

Old Story Clichés

When pressed for an idea I like to take a story theme that is already overdone and write something from it that feels fresh, new, or even original. It isn't always easy, but if you're suffering from writer's block it's easier than staring blankly and writing nothing. You just strip the idea down to its bare elements, turn it on its ear, and add other elements as needed until you've got a story of your own. A good way to approach this is mixing two or more overdone ideas that don't seem compatible with each other. Make them work together in a believable story and you'll likely have a decent story idea.

The Story Never Written

This one is my personal favorite. Imagine the story you want to see on the shelves but can't find anywhere. Be the one to write it. If you don't have one of those in your head already, close your eyes and start exploring up there.

Be the Director

Another favorite of mine, especially if I need results fast. Forget for a moment that your story isn't even written yet. Pretend it's already a movie. Imagine that first (or next) scene unfolding on the big screen and simply describe what you're seeing as it happens. If the movie gets stuck, be the director and adjust things until the story begins to flow again. This is also a great technique for describing a scene if you can't figure out how to frame it up for a narrative.

Now it's your turn! If my friend were to ask you where you get your story ideas, what would you tell her? (comment below)