How to: Get an Idea for a Story!

If you've never written a story before, or even if you've written a million, sometimes you just have trouble thinking of an idea that you want to put into words. If you're like me, your mind is all over the place and you have a hard time reeling in your brain to focus on one thing at a time. Read on for a few tips to at least get a jump start on your story.

Getting an Idea

Wait! Before we jump into anything, you need an idea first, right? Here's a quick list of things that you can do that just might give you the inspiration to put that pencil to the paper or your fingers to the keys.

1. Listen to music
2. Take a road trip
3.  Take a long walk
4. Visit a national park
5. Watch the clouds
6. Take a long walk
7. Relax on the beach
8. Watch people (sounds creepy, but you can spot some really interesting people around the way that could inspire a character for your story)
9. Read poetry
10. Read a book

Try all of these and you might just get a light bulb over your head!

Genre

If you simply just can't get an idea, don't feel discouraged. Here's a more step-by-step procedure of finding an idea. 

Do I want my story to be a beautiful romance with a little horror tossed in? Or maybe an urban fantasy with plenty of vampires and a modern day twist? I usually don't stick my story in a genre until after I've written the first few chapters, but selecting a genre earlier could help you set the direction you want for your story. Try pulling up a list of genres and going through them one by one. There will be a few that stand out to you. Once you've selected a genre (or two), try taking out a sheet of paper and jotting down the first words that come to your mind after reading the genre name. Here are a few examples:

Genre: Chick Lit

First Words That Come to Mind: girly, shopping, cute guys

Genre: Crime
First Words: murderer, detectives,car chases, guns

Do those groups of words sound interesting to you? If so, grab another piece of paper and pencil and start writing down some ideas. Then, read on for the next step in completing your idea!

Plot

Got your ideas down? Good, 'cause now it's time to start getting into the nitty-gritty! That's right--it's plot time. Now that you have a genre or at least an idea of the direction you want to head in, it's time to start thinking. Let's just say you decided on the Crime genre. You saw the words and just got really excited! 

Ready for more hands-on? I am!

Take out some more paper or pull up Notepad because we're about to get into this. Look at the words that you wrote down and read them over carefully. Now, try to write down a quick plot, incorporating the words you jotted down earlier. Here's an example:

Genre: Crime

First Words: murderer, detectives,car chases, guns

Quick Plot: A psychopathic killer is reeking havoc and spreading fear throughout the town of Bearsville. Only Detective Rawr will be able to stop this murderer. His only tools? His trusty tricycle and water gun. Time is against him...

Okay, so that wasn't the best plot, but you get the idea. If you chose more than one genre, do the same thing for the rest of them. Try coming up with more than one storyline for each separate genre. When you're done, you should have a nice list of story lines to sort through.

Characters

Now, for my favorite part--creating the characters for your story! Usually, I begin with the protagonist, build the characters around him, and then move on to the antagonist. We'll start with the protagonist first. Consider the following:

1. Male or female?
2. Personality?
3. Background?
4. Family?
5. Friends?
6. Appearance?
7. Flaws? Why and how?

Once you've gone through the list, you should have a pretty well-rounded character. As I write, my characters usually grow with me, so maybe you'll find yourself doing the same. You can go through this same list for each of your characters. This is just a basic list so feel free to add more detail!

Once you have these things down, other aspects, such as setting and a deeper story, will fall into place. Remember, don't stress about yanking an idea out of thin air. It will come to you!

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!
Bootsie

5 Ways to Beat Writer's Block!

Don't push yourself!

Before you read any further, I want to ask you a few questions to see if you actually have writer's block.

1. Do you find yourself staring at the words of your story for hours on end without actually adding more words?
2. Do you find yourself hitting the Backspace key more times than any other key on your keyboard?
3. Are you at the point that you couldn't write another word to save your cat's life?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I'm sorry to say that you have caught the "writer's block" bug. Lucky for you, Bootsie's got you covered! Check out the tips listed below and hopefully one of these will help cure you of writer's block.

1. Back Track

The other day, while editing my book, I found myself in a rut about how a certain scene should play out. No matter how many times I re-worded it, no matter how much I begged my laptop to just make the right words magically appear on the screen...IT JUST DIDN'T WORK. Especially not that last one. So, after nearly pulling all of my hair out, I decided to go back through my book. I read over important plot points to see just what the halibut was up. Finally, I discovered the problem. I found where I left off important information, key points that were necessary for my book to end the way that it needed to. If you are experiencing writer's block, especially near the end of your book, go back through your story and you just might find what you need to beat it.

2. Try  a New Environment 

Sometimes, you just need a change in scenery. Your office gets boring, your butt hurts from sitting at your desk for too long -- it's no wonder you're having a brain freeze at writing. Try heading out to a different area to write. I listed a few in last week's blog that might help you.

3. Turn Up the Music!

Are you one of those people who need absolute silence to write? Liable to bite someone's head off for interrupting your solitude? For some people, writing with music can help inspire you in ways silence can't. I like listening to a wide variety of music, especially while I write. I find that it brings out the perfect mood I'm trying to set for a particular scene. This doesn't work for everyone, but trying it one time won't kill you!

4. Ask for Suggestions

A lot of people are pretty private about their work. I'm one of them. You literally have to pry my notebook away from me or do some stealthy spy tricks to read my stuff. ...What? I'm working on it! Anyway, asking for a friend's or family member's suggestions on your story might give you ideas that would've never crossed your mind.

5. Take a Break

Sometimes, the only way to get over writer's block is to simply take a break. That's right -- back away from your work and take some time to clear your head. Go walking, partying, or even read another book. When you come back, you'll come back with a clear mind and a fresh start.

I hope these ideas come in handy! See you next Friday!

Have a blessed day and keep on reading!

-Bootsie

Top Five Places for Writing!

Writing or reading in a different area can make a big difference!

Have you ever had that wonderful moment when you had a rush of ideas for that story you're working on or that poem you were planning on writing? You're all like, "Yay!" and rush to your computer to get to work. Your fingers are flying on the keyboard so fast that smoke is practically clouding your vision.

Then you hear the your cell phone ring. Or your kids whine. Or your favorite reality show's theme song. You struggle to stay focused on that brilliant idea but then Duck Dynasty beckons you over to the dark side and that idea is -whoosh- gone.

Happens all the time, right? Today, there are just so many things to do and so little time. There are jobs that need to be done, school work that needs to be dove into, and TV that needs to be watched. That's why I came up with a list of five places that you and your beloved work of art can retreat to for some peace and quiet that can hopefully work into your busy schedule.

5. The Beach

The ocean makes for a perfect setting to write that sweet romance before you get on with your day. It's perfect if you can get out there early in the morning before the crazy volleyball-wielding kids ruin the solitude. It'd be terrible if you got whacked in the head while you were writing Bob and Anna's passionate breakup speech. If you don't have the luxury of living close to the ocean, a lake or even a creek could work as a substitute.

4. Your Job

If you work at a job where you sit at a desk most of the day or are allowed a decent amount of time for a break, this would be the ideal time to write down a few plot ideas. I wouldn't recommend this if you're in the construction business.

3. Camping Trip

That's right--get the entire family out for a camping trip over the weekend. Now, this doesn't mean neglect the great outdoors. Go out there and swim in a lake, hike up a mountain, pet a grizzly bear (don't do this). But at night, when everyone else is asleep, take out your portable book-light and get to writing under the stars.

2. Lunch Time

Grab your notebook or laptop before you head to your local restaurant for a lunch break. This might mean being bad company to your lunch buddies, so I recommend going to lunch with your laptop as your only companion that day.

1. Your Local Park

The park is my absolute favorite place to write. It always offers up that sense of serenity when you're sitting under big oak trees and listening to the chirping of birds. The best part is you can take your entire family and they'll be occupied while you have some me-time.

Hopefully, this post gave you some ideas on how you can find the time to write. Finding the time to write is always hard but you can do it! Have fun!

Have a blessed day and keep on reading!
-Bootsie