Ten Thousand Volts to the Brain?

Whenever anybody talks about writing, the question that always seems to jump to the forefront is: "Where do you get your ideas?" If we can answer that question in a way that makes sense, maybe, just maybe, we can spawn some new authors out there.

Great ways to jump-start the brain often include observation. No thought exists in a vaccuum. We humans have lots of memories, stimuli, cherished beliefs, and other things all leaping about in our heads like Mexican jumping beans. The trick is to pick out those things that interest us and see what can make a good story.

Sometimes a single source can be the primary inspiration, other times it's multiple sources. The way the human mind works, one can never tell what's going to give that zap to the ol' gray matter.

But let's talk specifics: what are some of the steps we can take to get that inspiration?

A few things come immediately to mind. First, find the genre you most like to read (or watch) and immerse yourself in it. This could be fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, historical fiction, horror, thriller, romance, or whatever captures your imagination and holds it. And here's something: sometimes, it's not just one genre. Sometimes multiple genres can coalesce.

For example, take the steampunk genre (something you'll find the Forge of Atuma series likes to play with): this type can merge history, sci-fi/fantasy, and just about any other type you can think of. Imagine Sherlock Holmes with a steam-powered computer in place of his written index: that's sci-fi and mystery together. Or how about that old TV show, "Wild, Wild West?" That combined cowboys with James Bond gadgets. Steampunk is a cool way to marry up genres that don't normally mix.

Second, pick a theme you're passionate about; and by "theme" I mean the underlying message of any story. I believe it was Gene Roddenberry who once said that the best fiction centers around people, not technology or "gadgets." In other words every successful story is going to have some sort of truly meaningful content. Take the movie "The Matrix." True, the movie had plenty of cool effects and action sequences. Also present were lots of neat virtual reality stuff, sentient programs and robots, the idea of a grand conspiracy. It had all that and more.

But most importantly the movie was about the nature of reality. What is real? What if everything you thought was true, even your very life, turned out to be a lie? These are interesting questions that the movie tries to address.

To get a story idea from all these things, mix and match them to your taste and then give it your own personal spin. This is not just a way to avoid plagiarism, but it also is a way to fall in love with an idea and take ownership of it. Real life is a handy way to do this, especially when it comes to a story's theme. Human drama is all around us. Newspapers, magazines, broadcasts and just kitchen table talk can be valid sources. As I mentioned before, whatever captures your imagination and holds it.

Here's a tip: carry a scratch pad and pencil around with you. If you get an idea, even a tiny one, write it down before you forget it. Ever been in a Kodak moment without a camera? That's how I felt sometimes when I had a cool epiphany and couldn't remember what it was! Notes really help.

But more on writer's tools in a future post. For now, do some digging in what places you can find and don't be afraid to latch onto some wild ideas, maybe even ones that seem dumb at the time. There's always time to refine them. For now, just write it down.

Until next time,
Bob