A Writer’s View of the World
Now, how exactly are we supposed to draw inspiration from the world around us? I often say that writers have a particular way of looking at the world, and I fear I have been imprecise, so I will try to clarify myself here. I do not mean that all writers see the world in the same way. If that were true, stories would all look very similar, and be very boring. Rather, writers all look at the world as a well of information and ideas which they can draw upon as material for their stories. However, not every writer uses the same kind of inspiration. Understanding what kind of material inspires you is crucial if you want to discover good ideas, and discover them often.
Start with the exercise I have written below, which is to compile a list of all of the premises of stories you have come up with, good or bad, crazy, intriguing, or cliché, it doesn’t matter. Don’t look at what the premises are; look at what they have in common. Do you tend to construct stories from interesting characters you see? Do a lot of your stories have to do with families? Are they constructed from dreams, during the day or night? All of these are possibilities. Until you recognize where your stories come from, you won’t be able to tailor your writer’s eye to catch those ideas which interest you the most.
If you find yourself interested in characters, then keep a character journal. Once or twice a day, go to a public place, pick out an interesting character, and jot down a few of their characteristics. Now, imagine what that character might be doing later that day. Place that character in awkward situations. Figure out his weaknesses, and her fears. Pretty soon, you might have a story, or you might have a bust. Start writing, or pick someone else.
Perhaps you are inspired by conversation. I’ve picked up two or three short story ideas from eavesdropped conversations, so make a habit of whenever you hear an interesting line, writing it down. Then, place that line in a larger conflict, and try to figure out what was said before and after it. Pretty soon, you might have a scene, or at least you’ll have practiced your dialogue writing.
The key is to come up with techniques which pick up on those aspects of life which interest you. If one method doesn’t work, try another, or always have a few going. Regardless, the more you think about writing, the more ideas you will have, and the more you write, the better you will be able to shape those raw ideas into creative, original stories.
Exercise: Write down a list of every premise you have come up with recently. Try to get at least ten, but fifteen or more is even better. Now look at how those premises are similar. What do you write about a lot? Where do most of your ideas come from? Brainstorm a few ways you can target areas in your life which inspire you the most.
