Inspiration/Concepts

[amazon_of_exeter]

Ok, just a little post wondering how other people come up with ideas for stories/arcs etc... I seem to be a little bit random, and depending on my mood at the time, then odd collections of words or objects/people that I see, start to get incorporated into a statement, which then gets expanded into a story...or the beginning of one. I am trying to be good and focus on writing one thing at a time, at least until I run out of inspiration at a given moment and need to focus on something else...

So basically I don't follow any set plot planning - one day i might try, but for now, I use whatever random concepts come to mind (very random at times....pink ferret in an egg...??)

Comments

[smw]

It's quite rare that I'm inspired to write a novel; it's usually a character who acts as the kernel around which everything else grows. Short stories are more likely to start from a neat idea.

As to how plot arcs come about, they start out a bit like short stories, after which I write until I realize I've gone in the wrong direction and start over. I do a lot of rewriting -- I'm prolific, so it's a process that works for me. I've never been able to stand back and plan a novel; it's essential that I have my hands dug right into it.

[auguris]

My ideas mostly come from the fact that I have little people living in my head telling me what they do all day, and if I don't write it down I think I might go crazy.

Nebulous plots tend to form around clusters of characters, and I then have to wrangle said plots and characters into something coherent. Sometimes it works, sometimes I throw it in the 'oh god why' folder and never open it again. I didn't used to bother planning out where I'm going, but I've realized that I HAVE to or everything goes in the OGW folder.

[noctuary]

I start with one kernel of idea. Sometimes it's a theme, sometimes it's a particular scene or snapshot, sometimes it's a line of dialogue. I let it percolate for a while - maybe a couple of weeks - and eventually it builds up on itself. I take notes for a week or two (generally few of which end up contributing to the eventual novel) and then it develops itself once I start writing it.

This is generally how I do stuff for NaNo - I only start casting around for ideas a week or two before November, knowing that something will jump into my brain in time.