Many say they have considered writing but never quite gotten to it. They don’t know how to start. Where do you look for inspiration? The inspiration to create a character, a world, a plot-line, a culture, a language, etc? There is so much that has to be created!
I have “only” been writing for 15 years, but here are my tips!
1. Daydreaming.
I don’t know about you guys, but I love to daydream! This is where I get most of my plot-lines and dialogue; I kind of rehears it in my head and put myself in one of the characters shoes. More than once I have caught myself making faces when walking down the street daydreaming, so there are potential hazards to your image…
2. Creating a character
Creating a character is for many a first step, before much of the plot-line even. The reason for this is the main-character’s personality and traits. The plot-line will be different depending on their nature. How they speak and act will change it. What would the Harry Potter series be like if Hermoine was the main character? How would she grow differently?
3. Friends and family
Personally, I have based many of my characters on friends and family. My dad inspired Dad Eivan from my sci.fi project, with his white hair, mustache, the occasionally hot temper and the smile-wrinkles around his eyes. Add a limp and a cane you don’t have House, you have the main character’s dad who has a limp because he served in world war 3. Now, what kind of person has the limp, the war and his mischief-making daughter made him like? And how would this again affect his daughter?
If you have one trait or more for a character, or even their looks, then spin off on them and think why they have this particular trait and what it makes that person like.
4. Visual.
Writers way too often get stuck in their office with their laptop and try to describe the floating, carefree sensation of laying in the grass in the woods looking up at the leaves on a cloudy morning. But describing something without any visual input can be a challenge. So if possible, go do the things your character does. I can guarantee a better description. And often more fun to write when you have the inspiration for it.
5. Your favorites
What is your favorite movie or book, and why? What makes this so special story-wise? Chances are, you’ll write in the same lines as what you yourself like to watch and read. This is also a great place to find inspiration. Inspiration is not violating any copyrights, not as long as you make it your own.
6. Knowledge.
What field do you have expertise in? Either just through hobbies and interest, but also work and education. Bring this into your writing. If you are a computer expert, then have your story involve lots of computers. Maybe the life of a hacker?
Although I’d say most do have some kind of skill, not having it does not mean it cannot be acquired. Experience also counts, be it good or bad:P
7. New perspectives.
I’m interested in culture, and one thing I have learned from culture and language exchange is to see things from a different cultural perspective. This is also true for your characters, be it for better or for worse:P Myself, I like to create humor out of cultural differences, and the chaos that arise from it is always amusing to write.
8. Just write!
Another thing with wanting to write is that one is often too harsh on oneself. When Rowling, just to use something well-known, started writing, I have my sincere doubts she wrote all the books from start to finish, word by word perfectly on the first try. Truth is, writers spend more time editing their writing then actually writing! So even if it sounds silly or dumb the first few sentences you put down, just write it straightforward at first, then you have something to build upon. This is the computer age, it can all be edited so easily, take advantage of it.
9. Dead end.
Sometimes, it feels as if you hit a dead end in your story. You can’t think if anything to drive the story forward, or it is slowing down too much, or has one wheel in the ditch. And you can’t think of what is to happen next, or you know what is suppose to happen next but just don’t know how to have the story end up at that exact spot.
I have met several dead ends, and the best thing to do is to go back in time and write a new continue form the previous chapter, or from where you feel the story is on it’s tracks. Just pretend you never wrote the next chapter and let it take a completely different course.
10. Carry a notebook.
I don’t know how long i walked around and heard and expression, or thought of a good dialogue, a stingy comment and an even stinger comeback, and haven’t had a place to write it down until I forgot. I started writing stuff on my cell but ultimately I had to go get a notebook. I even put down things people said or did at work, and I’m probably not alone in having a crazy co-worker or two^^,
Only people who are missing something inside can become the main character;
Whether its courage, faith in yourself or happiness.
If the main character has it all from the beginning, the story can never start because there is nothing to tell. Taking the first step towards acquiring what you are missing is like writing the first line of a story.
Image found here.
theivorypen 