Rejection of new ideas

by Jiří Petruželka
(Czech Republic)

My question is about something you said regarding the rejection of new ideas:

"In that case, your subconscious may get tired of rejection and stop giving you so many ideas. (Don't let this happen!)"

What would your advice be once this *does* happen?

I've rejected so many ideas either immediately or after initial hype that I start to feel like a blank slate and most often a subconsciousness' answer is "I just don't know". I've tried to go back to when I originally got the inclination and things that incited it, but to no avail. Still only have only a few ideas too sketchy or vague to be worth rejecting.

(Reasons mostly for sounding unoriginal or cliché, too similar to other work, having plotholes, indecisiveness, or perhaps being too afraid of trying anything too different. I want to use the story in a game, so I can't focus only on writing and have to stick with what I make for a longer time. Also games are a medium most accused of being cliché, that gives both a good goal and possibly a crippling obstacle.)

Thank you for your time and a great website!

Answer: There are several ways in which the right ideas may find you (or you may invite them in). Here are a few in increasing order of usefulness.

1. Sometimes it works to meditate or focus on the problem for a length of time until eventually the right idea bubbles up from your subconscious and gets past all the barriers (criteria) you have been using to reject ideas. You have to be open enough to allow this to happen and it can test your patience, but it can work.

2. Sometimes your criteria are so demanding or you are so critical of your ideas that they can only emerge when your attention is focused elsewhere. For instance, many people find ideas come to them in the shower or in dreams or when taking a walk--times when they are not actively trying to come up with an idea.

3. Being a creative person (in any discipline) often requires the ability to let yourself be childlike. Children are creative geniuses compared to most adults because they have not learned to be critical or discerning about ideas. They don't criticize their own creativity. They are just excited to be having ideas.

You have to let yourself enter that childlike state while you are coming up with ideas. Later, you can return to a more adult (critical) frame of mind when you are deciding what ideas to keep. But try not to criticize ideas at the same time as you are coming up with them.

4. A principle of improvisational theatre called "Yes, and..." also helps with idea generating. The way it works in theatre is that one actor will begin a scene by introducing an idea and the second actor must not reject that idea. Instead, the second actor must say the equivalent of "Yes, and..." and then add a new idea. By going back and forth, adding ideas but rejecting none, a complex scene or story can be created out of almost nothing.

When writing, rather than reject an idea outright because it sounds cliched, try accepting the idea, but then adding another idea to it or putting a twist on it. Maybe the first idea is a cliche, but by adding new ideas to it, you can make it original. Maybe your first idea has plotholes, but rather than reject it, try coming up with lists of ideas you might use to fill the holes.

5. A more formal approach is to take an idea (any idea), and create a list of questions about that idea. Any question is valid, but it is better to avoid yes/no questions. The questions can range from simple ones like "What colour is the character's eyes?" to more complex ones like "Why would the character do X?" You can use your critical faculty to find questions.

In your next writing session, brainstorm lists of possible answers to each question (10 answers * 10 questions = 100 ideas).

Next, choose the answers you like for each question and re-write your idea, incorporating these answers.

You can repeat this process as many times as you like. If you find yourself not liking the story idea, try asking a questions like "What would make this story more interesting?" or "What is the most surprising thing that could happen at this point in the story?"

Sometimes, even when this process doesn't seem to work, it will often stimulate your subconscious mind enough that the right idea will emerge when you shift your attention away (as in #2 above).

Finally, it's a good idea to write ideas down before you reject them. An idea that seems bad now may turn out to hold real promise on a later reading.

Can a story idea be too simple?

by JC Ironwave

Can a story idea be too simple? For example, I am making a film. It's going to be a machinima film made with a game engine and I want to make it while I'm still in film school so that I can have some experience in filmmaking. I know that this website is specifically for writing books and novels, but I honestly couldn't find a better place to ask. I've asked questions on here before, and you've always given me clear, terrific answers. So, without further adieu, let me ask you my question:

If my plot's premise is too simple, is it still possible to make a 90-minute film out of it and still keep it enjoyable with a strong 3-act structure?

The premise is this: A thief stole a magical sword from a great dragon's lair. The dragon became angry and laid waste to the countryside, demanding all those he spared to return the sword back to him within a certain time frame, or he would destroy them all. So our hero, with his family killed in the dragon's outbreak, decides to find the sword and instead of giving the sword back, he was going to have his revenge and slay the dragon with it.

To add a bit more background, the land has already been torn in war for years, and various lesser dragons have begun to migrate into the land, posing as potential hazards.

Anyway, I have been under the impression that this premise and plot was too simple and would seem somewhat predictable to my viewers. I was thinking that maybe I could have a larger time frame to lengthen the story, or maybe the main character should actually be a different guy who travels to the land to retrieve the sword for his family because it belonged to his ancestors long ago. But maybe that guy could work as a secondary character, I don't know exactly. I also thought that maybe the dragon hires a group of dragon-riding mercenaries to retrieve the sword for him. But I just need the plot to take some twists and keep the viewers engaged while also being able to support a 90-minute film.

Any ideas? I know this probably isn't the sort of question you are used to, but I just haven't found much help anywhere else.

Thanks.

Answer: Many films and novels have been based on premises just as simple, if not simpler than yours.

For instance, think about the dozens of heist films, going back to The Great Train Robbery. The premise is as simple as can be: some bandits rob a train.

Many stories have also been based on the simple idea of killing a monster. The Hobbit is a prime example.

The Lord of the Rings is scarcely more complex: destroy the powerful object before the villain can use it against you (which is also the idea behind Star Wars: A New Hope).

If you haven't already, I suggest you read these articles on structure...

https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-outline.html
https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/w-plot.html
https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/monomyth.html

I think you'll find that if you develop a story well, perhaps include all four throughlines, you can easily have enough material for a full length film. Remember that any signpost or other event can be developed into a sequence of events with its own 4-part structure, so that 16 signposts can become 64 scenes (plus the 5 drivers), which is more than enough for a full-length film (which is usually around 48 scenes).

As for originality, that does not come from structure and seldom from the basic idea or goal. Originality comes from how you illustrate the events in your story. For instance, any well-structured story will have a crisis that determines the outcome. In your story, the crisis will likely be a scene in which the hero confronts the chief villain and defeats him. If you were to leave out the crisis, because you want to be original, the result would be an emotionally flat story.

Where you want to be original is on the illustration level -- the specific people, places, things, and events that illustrate the story. This includes like...

* The main character - his/her personality, unique traits, inner struggle, etc.
* The relationship between the main character and the impact character.
* The other characters and their personalities.
* The unique story world you create -- including its values, rules, history, technology, resources, physics, etc.).
* The events you choose to illustrate structural elements such as the crisis, the major drivers, the resolution, etc.
* The specific forewarnings, requirements, costs, dividends, prerequisites, preconditions, etc.
* The style of storytelling (camera work, pace, editing).
* The design elements (setting, character appearance, props, lighting, etc.).

Structure is like the skeleton. Illustration is the flesh on the bones that makes the story come alive.

Most stories are quite similar on a structural level, but few people notice because they are vastly different on the illustration level.

That doesn't mean your plot shouldn't have surprises, twists, suspense, etc. Go ahead and defy expectations within the bounds of good structure. Most likely, if your characters are original, their actions and choices will be original because they spring from their unique skills, personalities, experience, etc.

Remember too that what seems familiar to someone who has studied film and literature for a lifetime may not seem cliched to a typical audience, especially a young adult audience (who I suspect your film will be geared to). So you don't have to be totally original. You just have to avoid illustrations that are too similar to those in popular films of the past 15 years or so.

Best of luck.

P.S. You might consider not killing all of the hero's family. If he has nothing left to lose, that could weaken his motivation. On the other hand, if he had one thing left to protect -- a sister, a brother, or even a dream -- that might give him a stronger reason to fight. Just a thought.

Every story has been done before.

by John
(Utah, United States)

Every story has been done before!!! Please help?

Sorry for that aggressive start, but I've been having this problem of avoiding cliches and such for quite some time...

So basically, I had an idea for a story; it's a fantasy war story/heroes journey story about an evil dragon that is coming/has already come to destroy the land.

Can you see that I'm already having trouble explaining it? That's because of how mixed up it's gotten over the months. The reason for all of this confusion is because when I first envisioned it, I thought I had a pretty solid story. So I got to work on it, only to realize that that plot model had been done many times before. So, trying to be unique and avoiding those dreaded cliches, I went ahead and mixed it up a little bit, you know, added more elements. However, I soon realized that THAT was done as well. So I changed the genre to be a war story, but mixed it with a heroes journey, and everything just fell apart from there.

Now, I find myself thinking "maybe it should be a mix of Lord of the Rings and Gladiator... Or maybe Harry Potter and Game of Thrones... But I still need that adventurous element in it, so I'll add The Hobbit into the mix..." And now, all I have left is this monstrous goop of a story that was once pure, simple, and compact.

I've re-done my story so many times, I don't even know what I want it to be about anymore, all I know is: Protagonist. Dragon. War. Evil. Victory. The End. And I know this all sounds really hysterical, but I really don't know what to do at this point. Should I scrap it all, and start with a clean slate? Should I ignore all other novels and movies and just craft my story regardless of cliches, similarities, and common themes?

I really don't want to give up entirely and just accept that there is no hope of success in the fantasy war and drama genre. But I don't want to be like "all those other novels" if you get my drift.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Answer: First the good news...

Don't worry about plot cliches. You're familiar with the Hero's Journey, so you know that one story model can be the backbone of hundreds of different stories. There are very few wholly original ideas in the world, but there are an infinite number of variations.

If you were to write a one paragraph summary of a story idea and give it to ten different writers, they would produce ten very different stories and only a few readers would even notice the similarities. (How many people, for example, notice the similarity between Harry Potter and Star Wars: Episodes 4-6 until someone points it out to them?)

This is why you cannot copyright ideas, only the expression of the ideas -- the actual wording of your story.

What you should do is focus on the story you want to tell. What was the original idea that got you excited? Does it still excite you? If so, that's what you should be working on.

You might try to write this idea in the form of a logline -- a 1-2 sentence summary of the core idea. Here's the basic formula for a logline...

Following AN EVENT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, a SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER WITH A UNIQUE FLAW OR TRAIT tries to ACHIEVE A GOAL OR RESOLVE A PROBLEM by PLAN OF ACTION in order to prevent SOMETHING BAD happening. This becomes increasingly difficult because of OBSTACLE OR COMPLICATION.

Now, if you are worried that your idea seems a little too close to a well-known work, what you should do is change maybe one thing about it. Give the story one twist, or add an element from something else. Don't make it a hodge-podge of too many ideas or twists. One major twist is enough. And make sure you choose a twist that excites you even more.

Chances are that the one change you make will necessitate other little changes to make the story consistent. Ask yourself what the ramifications of the change will mean to the story, and focus on resolving these issues. This process alone should result in an original story idea.

I would suggest you then structure the story using the 8 essential plot elements and the W-model. These are pretty open-ended tools that can apply to almost every story idea. Here are the links...

https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-outline.html
https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/w-plot.html

You will also find that even a well-used plot can seem fresh if it is cloaked in an original story world, or if it involves original characters (by that I mean in terms of their personalities more than their external traits). When readers become tired of the same type of hero, for example, that creates opportunity for a fresh take.

But the thing that will really make your story unique is how you tell it -- the point of view, style, and voice.

Find a main character with the right attitude, a narrator with a charming voice, or your own authentic personal writing style. Let the personality of the story come from you. That is the real source of originality.

If you follow these steps, the result will be a story that is all your own.

Finding Original Ideas

by Brenna Lowrance

Question: I prefer to write fiction, and really want to give a supernatural element to my main character, but everything seems to already have been done. I want to do this to make Everything from vampires to werewolves, and angels to shape shifters seems to be taken. Is there any advice you could give me?

Answer: Here are couple of ways to look at this issue.

First, while it is true that many stories have been written about vampires, it is also true that many more will continue to be written. Remember that a new generation of people is maturing at any given time that hasn't read all the old books and doesn't necessarily find these ideas overdone.

Of course, sometimes we need a break. Now that everyone (it seems) has read/watched Twilight or Vampire Academy or Stargate: Atlantis etc., the world might need ten years without vampires before a new generation is ready for a fresh take on them.

In fact, this might be true for the entire paranormal or urban fantasy genre. Young people have a natural tendency to want their own culture to be different from that of their parents. It's part of wanting their own identity. If your parents grew up on Star Wars, you may prefer Harry Potter (even though these stories are very similar, once you strip away the outer trappings). And your children will want their own heroes who will look different, but mainly on the outside.

Whatever is out of fashion will eventually be reborn in a new guise. This is why every generation gets a new version of King Arthur, Robin Hood, Odysseus, or The Three Musketeers.

Sometimes the new guise is strikingly new. For instance, many concepts in science fiction were borrowed from mythology or legends concerning the supernatural. Telepathy, for example, was originally the talent of a sorcerer. Aliens often resemble demons. What's the difference between a magic wand and a sonic screwdriver?

Very few ideas are wholly original.

That said, be careful about saying "everything's been done." There's an old joke (from 1899) in which an employee at the Patent Office says that there's no need to look at more patent applications because "everything that can be invented has been invented."

We have a tendency to be lazy in our thinking. When we sit down to think of a supernatural power/being/element to include in our story, the first things to come to mind are ideas we've encountered in other stories. Finding an original idea takes more time, thought, and playing with one's imagination.

You may need to go through a phase of frustration or despair in which it seems like there are no new ideas left. That's normal. Just keep at it. Make lists. Eventually, you will hit upon an original idea. Or you may find an original variation on an old idea, or several old ideas combined in a new way. Or perhaps a way to present an old idea that will be accessible to a new generation.

Best of luck.

Too many writing ideas at once

Question: How do you write down ideas when they come quickly, and sometimes all at once? They also tend to be the whole story played out as a movie; I can't write them down fast enough.

Answer: This is an age-old problem faced by writers, and I'm not sure a perfect solution exists.

A famous example is Coleridge's poem "Xanadu." Coleridge claims he woke up one morning with a fully formed idea for a huge, multi-volume epic poem. He saw the entire plot laid out in his mind. On rising, he quickly started writing, but after the first page or so there was a knock at the door. By the time he finished dealing with the person at the door and returned to his desk, he found he had forgotten the rest of the story.

Some things that might help...

One of the blessings of keyboards is that they can help you record ideas faster than with a pen. If you develop your typing skills, you can get to the point where you can often type as fast as you think.

Legend has it that L. Ron Hubbard (who was a prolific pulp fiction writer before he went crazy and invented Scientology) used a special typewriter with keys for "and" and "the" to save time. He also used rolls of paper rather than single sheets, so he didn't have to waste time changing pages. He was paid by the word, and often handed in first drafts that looked like scrolls. Fortunately, computers eliminate the paper problem.

Using some form of shorthand or point form notes along with a keyboard can also speed thing up, at least in terms of outlining plot and characters.

When all else fails, you might do what J.K. Rowling did when the idea for Harry Potter came to her on a train and she had no pen or other writing tool handy.

Afraid she would forget some of the details of the story that were emerging from her imagination, she kept playing out the story in her mind over and over throughout the train trip, adding characters and other details as she went. By the time she reached her destination (and found a pen) the story had become firmly shifted into her long-term memory.

If you use this method, try to see the story in terms of pictures that are arranged in your mind spatially, like a map or timeline. Spatial arrangements are an ancient and well-established mnemonic technique, often used by students to memorize facts or dates.

A Unique Idea for a Novel

I would like to come up with a unique idea for a novel which no other author has used. I want to be the first to write the story and create something unique. Do you have any ideas that might be appropriate (no romance)? How can you help?

Answer: If I gave you an idea, then I would be denying you the experience of coming up with a unique idea on your own.

Moreover, an idea that excites one writer may seem dull as dishwater to another. You want an idea that you can be enthusiastic about, and that can only come from your own imagination.

There are lots of things you can do to find an idea that excites you, the most important of which is to start paying attention and writing down ideas as they come to you. Eventually, if you are persistent, an idea will come along that demands to be written.

In the meantime, there are plenty of things you can do to "prime the pump" and make it easier for the right idea to catch your attention.

Here are a few...

* Watch movies, read books, and ask yourself what you would have done to make each story better.

* Make a list of stories you have loved in your life. Look for common elements (character types, themes, genres, plots, etc.).

* Ask yourself how you might do a twist on a cliche or established genre, or combine elements of more than one genre into a new story.

* Do writing prompts and exercises.

* Make yourself write 3 pages every day - even if all you are writing is stuff like "This exercise is boring. I don't know what to write."

* Take random words or photographs and write little stories based on them.

* Get a brief logline for an existing story, and change one thing about it. Write a story based on the changed idea.

* When ever you go somewhere, try to imagine what kind of stories could happen in the places you see.

* Watch people in a shopping mall. Make up stories about them.

* Read nonfiction, which can be a great source of ideas as well. (If you like science fiction, read science. If you like historical fiction, read history. If you like crime fiction, read true crime or forensic science, etc.)

Best of luck.

Too similar to another story

by Marissa
(Cincinnati)

Question: Ok so I got an idea for a book after reading Vampire Academy and that's about a girl who's a guardian and they are half vampire and half human and they're meant to protect the mortal vampires from the evil immortal vampires and she's her best friend's guardian and she's in love with her mentor.

The idea I have for my book is about people called protectors and they aren't half vampire they're just special and they protect the world from all supernatural creatures and they have an alliance with the mortal vampires and they have to fight the immortal vampires but there are also other supernatural creatures like werewolves, witches, and a few others and it's not about romance or anything like Vampire Academy but I think it might be way too similar and I have an idea and if I do it it will change it a lot and it definitely wouldn't be that similar so my question is do you think they sound too similar and I should change the idea?

Answer: First, you should know that ideas cannot be copyrighted, only the expression of those ideas. Many story ideas have been used again and again.

Also, if you were to give ten writers the same idea and tell them to write a story based on it, you would get ten stories that are vastly different from each other.

That said, if you are working with an idea that is similar to a popular story, it is often good to dress the idea in new clothes. By that, I mean you can keep the core of the story idea, but create original characters and settings. (For instance, do you have to use the word "vampires"? Would another supernatural creature do, maybe one that's your own creation?)

Along the same lines, you can take a basic idea and create twists on it that make the story original and all your own. For instance, Harry Potter was a twist on the boarding school story (combining it with an old revenge plot idea). I haven't read Vampire Diaries, but for all I know the author might have begun with the idea of doing a Harry Potter-like story, but with vampires instead of wizards and with a girl protagonist. Another example is the City of Bones series, which began as Harry Potter fan fiction. Doing twists on an existing idea is a great way to create a story that appeals to fans of a popular book without looking like a cheap knock-off.

You can go a long way towards finding good twists by just asking yourself a lot of "what if" questions about a popular idea to discover new possibilities.

Best of luck.

Ideas for my first book.

by Vadim
(Bucharest, Romania)

I recently decided I want to become a science fiction writer and I planned some plots, ideas for be my first book.

I want to make a science fiction novel. The plot is that an ordinary 25 year boy like myself makes a wish and starts to dream about his past lives, which are totally scifi. I want to write about 3 or 4 past lives, to include in one, a world run by monsters like dragons and hydras, another past life with space exploring and life on other planets and another one with super power abilities. They all will have the same character, the boy that is remembering them. These lives they don't have much in common besides the main character. What do you think? Is it too much for a book?

I kind of want this book to have all so I kind of don't want to focus on a single story. On the first chapter I want to point out the normal world and that he wishes that much more would exist in life besides what is known and after he begins to remember the stories. I think 10 pages or so until the science fiction begins it's enough. Or should i go on more about the normal world?

If the book will be okay I also really want to start a big series of science fiction books. I have so many ideas, I could write like dozens of books, I am sure of this but I am really afraid of this first book. What if it's the wrong choice to start with? I read like hundreds of scifi book from authors of all periods and countries and I decided I could do this, my biggest problem is that here, unlike the US or UK few people are into fiction, but also means that the competition is less.

Is this fear of mine about not being in a region that appreciates this style a founded one or is like if a book is good no matter what style and gender it would be successful?

I read 90 percent of the books in English but I gotta write in my language cause well I live here, so my dream is to be publish in English and have success over in the US and UK. Last question, I am not sure if I should write from the narrative perspective or from the first person point of view yet, really debating this, do you have suggestion? what appeals more to the readers, narrative or first person writing?

Hope you still reply on these questions and I look forward for an answer, I read most of the questions and I will begin in the next days to make a detailed plan for everything I want to write.

BTW, I am from Romania. Your website it's awesome, so helpful.

Regards.

Response: Have you ever read the short story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"? It is about a man who leads a dull life but has daydreams of being the hero of various adventure stories.

It occurs to me that you might look to that as an example of how these various alternate lives can be incorporated into one story.

However, your project sounds more ambitious.

One question I think you should ask yourself is what the overall Story Goal is. How might all these past lives and the man's current life fit together as one overall story? Why is he remembering them now? Is there something he must do in the present that requires him to remember these other lifetimes? Might the memory of these lives help him deal with problems in the present?

Remember, the novel should propel your main character towards an important decision or action at the climax that will determine the outcome of the overall story.

It may turn out that you don't have to write a complete novel for each lifetime. But there may be some key events that the man remembers from each that would be stepping stones towards the overall story goal.

It sounds as though you are also wrestling with how to reconcile your desire for commercial success with your desire to write the story that you want to write.

Everyone has this dilemma. The best approach to take is somewhere in the middle. Learn to write the best book you can, which may mean taking your original idea for the story you feel you want to write now and making it better.

If you write a great book, if you're persistent (very persistent), and you have luck on your side, your work has a chance of finding its audience.

As for narrative style, I'm personally fond of 3rd person limited narration because it is very flexible. You can write from the point of view of the main character, but it's easier to manage than 1st person, and easier to change points of view.

On the other hand, 1st person narration allows your narrator to talk to the reader directly, making the reader his confidant. This style is quite popular with young adult novels right now.

The choice is yours and depends on what sort of voice you want to give your narrator/main character.

Muddled up ideas

by Nell
(Derbyshire)

Question: My entire story stemmed from one simple image of a soldier & a firing squad. The problem is that since then I have created proper detailed characters out of generic-soldier-man and his family. The problem is that the characters and the setting have also evolved a lot and as I'm terrible for paying all my attention to the characters and ignoring the plot the initial image of doesn't quite fit the soldier's character anymore (He's grown a lot), yet is essential to my main character (his wife) as it is the first of a chain of events that have a massive effect on her life. I'm torn between adapting what I have, or changing it and deleting all that it causes in the life of my main character which would kind of screw up the point of the story and her character development. I realise this explanation is confusing at best and difficult to make sense of but I'd appreciate what help you can give.

Answer So we basically can say you have three options...

1. Reconnect with the original image and the idea that inspired you and revise everything you've done since to satisfy the demands of that concept.

2. Ditch the original image and keep all the work you've done (perhaps look for a different event to impact the main character).

3. Find a creative way to do both. In other words, keep the original concept and what you've done since and find a way they can work together.

I can't tell you which is the best choice, but I will suggest that you go with the option that you feel the most passion for, the one that interests you most.

I would also suggest that you not rush into a decision. Take your time. Perhaps set the story aside for a week or more and work on something else.

Often, your subconscious will continue to work on the story ideas while you're busy with other activities. When you come back to the story after a break, you may find that the answer seems obvious.

Also, if you have trouble getting clear on what your plot should be, try writing a simple logline (using any or all of the three possibilities above) using the following formula...

After AN EVENT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, a UNIQUE AND SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER attempts to ACHIEVE A GOAL OR RESOLVE A PROBLEM by PLAN OF ACTION in order to prevent SOMETHING BAD HAPPENING. This becomes increasingly difficult because OBSTACLE OR COMPLICATION. But then a crucial choice SPECIFY leads to SUCCESS OR FAILURE.

The process of writing these loglines often reveals which story idea is strongest.

Best of luck.

Sticking With A Story

Question I'm trying to write a book, and I keep having trouble sticking with a story. I know I want it to be a fantasy novel (medieval styled) and I know what I want some of the characters to be, and the general setting, but I keep thinking way too far ahead. I'll be writing and then I'll get this amazing idea, but to write it I have to change the entire story up, or sometimes just a bit, and because of this I've been working on this book for almost a year and I can't get past the first chapter! Being that I'm in high school I still have a relatively long time to make this story all it can be, but I want to know if this is a destructive habit or if I should keep at it and maybe eventually I will fall in love with the story and finally stick with it.

Answer: You can't stop your brain from coming up with new ideas (and you don't want to). It's also true that your first idea is not always your best. Often a story gets refined over time as you think of better and better ideas.

However, as you know, if the ideas do not gel into a fixed story structure at some point, you will never finish.

It can be a good idea to give yourself a reasonable brainstorming period in which to entertain all possible ideas. Then follow this by a session in which you look critically at all the possibilities and choose the best ones. Shape them into a structure. You may find these articles helpful in writing an outline...

https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-outline.html
https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/w-plot.html

Use the outline to keep your story on track.

If you come up with an idea in the writing process that you think will be far better, look at it in light of how it will affect the rest of the story. Will it make the whole story better or is it just a distraction and a dead end?

If it is a better idea, then revise your outline to include your new idea.

If you are getting so many new ideas that you cannot make any progress, then you have to decide at some point that you are going to complete a draft of the story you have now outlined. Put off any other changes until the second draft. You can write them in notes or a separate file to look at later.

The one danger you have to be aware of is the "bright and shiny." When you're in the middle of writing a story, a new idea always looks more appealing, easier to write than the one you're struggling with. It's always tempting to drop your current story and work on the new idea. It's a way to avoid the anxiety associated with working out the tough parts of a story. Of course, the "bright and shiny" idea will lose its luster part-way through as well.

So once you have an outline you feel good about -- a story that demands to be told -- be wary of dropping it in favour of chasing every new idea that pops up.

Sticking with it

by Lane Hodson
(Wasilla)

Question: I started writing a story but I get another idea for a different one, then it gets stuck with me. Should I stick with the one I already started or start a new one? Or write both?

Answer: This happens to everyone. You get an idea for a story. It seems great, like it would be easy to write, etc.

Then, as you start to write it, you run into all kinds of elements that you haven't thought out. You get stuck because you don't know which direction to go next. That self-doubt kills your enthusiasm. This makes it easy for you to get distracted by the next bright and shiny idea because (just like the first idea when it was new) it seems easy and more exciting.

I can't tell you which of your two ideas is better, but I think we can agree that the challenge is to finish whatever idea you choose to work with.

That's the hard part of writing: making yourself sit in that chair and keep writing until you reach the end of the story, without becoming distracted by not only other story ideas but the internet, phone calls, email, laundry, children, and all the other parts of your life that seem easier to switch your attention to.

What works for me is to create a good, fairly detailed outline of the story before I start, so I will always know what scene or event I must write next.

Then I take a moment or so to get excited about this scene. I visualize it. I conjur the emotions involved with it, etc. I need that excitement to carry me through.

Then I give myself a period of time to write it, whether it's one hour or two, uninterrupted.

Some writers find it also helps to stop not at the end of a scene but part-way into the next, so the momentum will carry them into the next writing session.

Either way, whenever you get stuck, find a way to replace your self-doubt with excitement before you start writing. Perhaps reconnect with what made you excited about your current idea in the first place, or perhaps change the idea a little to make it more exciting in light of what you've already written.

Best of luck with your choice.

Idea development.

by J.B. Hendricks
(Alberta, Canada)

Question: When one only has a setting, or a character, or a short scene as their idea/inspiration, how do you develop that into an idea that would support a full story?

Answer: I would suggest you ask yourself a lot of questions about your initial idea.

For instance, if you have a scene, you might ask what happened before or what happens next, or why this happened.

If you have a character, you might ask a lot of questions about who they are, their history, their desires, etc. Then perhaps ask what the biggest challenge or problem they might face in their life.

If you have a setting, ask a lot of questions about who might live there, what challenges would someone face living there, etc.

It's a good idea to make a list of all the possible questions before starting to answer any of them. Try to ask open-ended rather than yes-no questions. You want questions that could have any number of answers. Also, sometimes very simple questions (e.g. "How old is this character?) can open up a wide range of possibilities for a story.

On a separate day, take out your list and for each question brainstorm as many possible answers as you can. Remember that in brainstorming, you write down every answer you can think of, even the crazy, far-out ideas you know you would never use. Push yourself to create as many answers as possible. Go for quantity rather than quality.

Give yourself a lot of time for this process. It may take several days/sessions.

On another day, go back over your lists of possibilities and circle the ones that interest you the most. Make note of ideas that work well with each other.

Then write an expanded summary of your story concept that incorporates the ideas you've circled.

Feel free to repeat this process several times, since ideas often inspire new questions.

Each round will lead to a more developed story.

How to develop my ideas

by Precious
(Ghana)

Question: I have a plot in mind put it is very difficult to develop it. I don't know what to do. I have the idea but how to write about events and things is very difficult. Please what can I do?

Answer: A number of articles on this site are about developing a plot. Check out the section on story models and novel writing, for example.

https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/story-model.html

https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/how-to-write-a-novel.html

Another way to develop your story is to ...

1. Brainstorm a list of questions about your story idea. As many questions as you can think of. Then set the list aside for a few days.
2. Brainstorm a list of possible answers to each question. Write down as many possibilities as you can think of, even the crazy or stupid ones you would never use. Again, set these lists aside for a few days.
3. Go back and choose the answers you find most interesting and that work together.
4. Re-write your story concept to include your chosen answers.

Do this a few times and you will find your story becomes much more fleshed out.

As for the actual writing, give yourself permission to write badly at first. Writing is like playing a musical instrument. You have to practice. So go ahead and write a bad first draft of a scene/chapter/manuscript. Then write it again and make it better.

Re-write and revise until it is as good as you can make it. Then get some feedback from people you trust and re-write or revise it again.

It takes time, just like learning to play a piano takes time. But seeing your story get better at each stage is very rewarding.

Best of luck.

I accidentally came up with a story that very closely reflects that of another story.

by Chris
(Woods Cross, UT, USA)

Question: Ok, I've been thinking about this story for almost a year now, and I have finally distilled it into a (in my opinion) beautifully well-laid out work of fiction. I've followed your guides to create plot and characters, and now I am finally ready to animate it into a series on my youtube channel (production starts this summer!)

However, I was so excited about my story that I told it to my friend (who is an aspiring writer). After I told her, she said it was good, but the plot sounded a lot like the plot of a series she watched once. She even said the main character of that series very closely mirrored mine! I don't know if you've heard of or watched BBC's MERLIN, but that's what series she referenced. I watched a few episodes, and my friend is are right so far. My main character is very much like the main character in it. And most of my other characters have a likeness to another character in MERLIN. I even saw a scene in MERLIN that is just like one of my most iconic scenes!

So what should I do if the plot I have has already been taken? I really don't want to take a whole other year to drastically change the plot, and then if I did, I'd have to make different characters, which would be even harder!

But, do you think I should still keep the plot? Because, I'm assuming MERLIN isn't a very famous show, I certainly never heard of it, until my friend told me about it. And plus, it's just for a youtube channel! I doubt there'd be much crtics on there who would take MY series that seriously. But those are just my justifications for keeping my plot. What do you think?

Answer: The Merlin series is famous enough (my daughter watches it). But even if it wasn't, you don't want to expose yourself to accusations of plagarism, especially if you have any hope of making money from this venture.

So what do you do?

Consider that a story can be looked at as having both an internal aspect - the underlying dramatic structure of the story - and an external aspect, which is how the story is illustrated for the reader.

It's similar to how a character has an external appearance and personality as well as an internal set of emotional drives, desires, judgements, and thought patterns.

For instance, Star Wars (episodes IV to VI) has a very similar internal structure to Harry Potter. Both are about orphan boys, raised by powerless uncles, watched over by an older wizard-warrior who, when they come of age, trains them to avenge their father's death.

However, no one has accused J.K. Rowling of plagiarizing George Lucas because the externals of Harry Potter are vastly different. The setting, characters, and many of the plot events are different enough that the casual viewer doesn't notice the similarities.

I think what you might do is decide what aspect of your story you are most in love with. Is it the external illustration of your characters, plot, and story world, or is it the underlying dramatic structure?

If it's the structure, consider transposing the story into a world that's very unlike the world of Merlin. You could set it in a different country, a different time period, even a different planet. Make the design work strikingly different. Give the characters different external traits and backstories that fit this new world. Find different events to illustrate the same plot points. You'll find the in doing this process, you will end up making many other little changes, so that the final story should be quite original.

On the other hand, if you love the external story world you've imagined, consider creating a different story to take place within that world. I know that also sounds like a lot of work, but sometimes even changing one key element in a story and then adjusting everything else makes all the difference.

For instance, I have seen two American adaptations of the classic British film The Wicker Man. One was a straight remake, but set in the US rather than Scotland. The other made a key change in the plot that resulted in a happy rather than a tragic ending. The second film had a different title (which unfortunately escapes me at the moment) and was different enough in other ways that made it a different story.

I realize how aggravating (and possibly costly) it will be to return to the drawing board at this stage, but it is certainly the safest option.

Perhaps treat it as an opportunity to take the story to an even better level?

More than one book

Question: I can be working on coming up with ideas for a book but then come up with an idea for a totally different book and then I keep coming up with more for that one and I write them all down so I don't forget them. So what are some ways I can just focus on one book idea and not be so drawn to another? It's like when you're reading a book and are into it then you find out another book and want to read that really bad but aren't even close to finishing the one you're on but you're just not feeling it anymore so you stop reading it and go on to the other one and I don't want to do that with my book ideas I rather focus on one and then when that's finished work on another one unless it could actually be good to work on one then take a break and work on another. I'm just not sure which is usually better.

Answer: This is why so many novels don't get written. Writers reach the stage where they're "just not feeling it any more."

In most artistic or other endeavours, it is common to feel the rush of excitement when the project begins.

However, half-way through, when the problems start to emerge (for instance, you realize what things you haven't developed enough, or thought through enough, or what things in act one contradict what you wrote in act two and how can you reconcile them in act three, and wouldn't it be better if you had a different main character because this one is now getting on your nerves, and there are just so many things to juggle that you're getting confused, etc.)... the effort seems to be more work than fun.

That's when the bright and shiny NEW BOOK IDEA seems so much more appealing.

Of course, if you switch to the new idea, you will eventually find (somewhere in act two) that it has plenty of its own problems to sort out.

Obviously, you have to develop the perseverance to work through the problems that emerge in the course of writing a book, otherwise you will never finish anything. You need to be both a) focused and b) relaxed. Focus is simply the ability to set aside all but the one project you are working on. To do that, you must relax and let go of the anxiety that kills the fun.

If you can develop the attitude that every chapter you write is a fun adventure, you will work much faster and with greater focus. It's not easy to develop this attitude. Our instincts cause us to get frustrated, impatient, and anxious with ourselves when problems arise. But if you can treat the problems as just part of the adventure--like little puzzles to be solved--that may help

I'm not keen on the idea of switching back and forth between projects, because to work on project B you have to switch to a different mindset than you had with project A, and by the time you get back to project A you may have rediscover all the things you had clearly in mind for project A but have now forgotten. So a lot of time is wasted getting back on track. Also, it's better in all ways to have one finished story than three partials.

I think it's good to write down new ideas when they arise and file them for later. But do this outside the time you have earmarked for working on your current project.

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