Writer’s write to readers. This means a writer’s aim is to interest their readers by conjuring story ideas that would interest readers.
Here are five tips to help you generate intriguing story ideas for your book :
1) STORY IDEAS BASED ON HISTORY:
History is documented real life occurrences. The beginning, the climax and the end are already sorted out. Wouldn’t that be boring? People know history, they have read about it before, so why do you need to write about it again? For instance, recall a recent traumatic historical event that is particular to your country. Older people may know the definitive points of the event and Yes, others may have general knowledge about it, but what you must understand is that different people experienced that event in different ways. Memories and some life changes are drawn from significant events and these could be unique to different people.
This should make you ask mental questions such as: How were survivors affected? What were their lives like before this event and how did they experience and survive this event? As you can see, the writer has room to create characters and portray their experiences to younger generation readers who may just have general knowledge about that event.
Thorough research and interviews will give you much understanding of the subject matter. You can only write a good book when you deeply understand the problems your characters will face. Reading about them will make you identify better with them and as a result, you’ll be able to write a great story.
Reading documentaries, memoirs and autobiographies will also help you grasp mental experiences of this particular event. So think. What’s the setting of the book you want to write? What books can give you more insight into the occurrences in that era? Get your materials ready and start reading to write your story.
2) STORY IDEAS FROM 100 MOMENTS IN YOUR LIFE:
This is a technique that has helped writers through the years. It is an exercise where you sit down and write about your life in a hundred sentences. It’s not burdensome, it’s actually a very simple exercise. You don’t have to think much, just get a paper, number it from one to hundred and start thinking about random moments in your life. Like when you first saw your baby sister; your first day in school; your first kiss; when you swallowed a seed and waited for it to grow on your head or in your stomach; when you said ‘ I do ‘ ; when you had to send your first child to the boarding house, etc.
Recalling and writing down these moments will trigger emotions in you. You’ll be able to awaken interesting ideas in your mind that you never thought you had. Remember I always talk about relatability in story writing. The things you experience are similar to other people’s, so people want to read what they can relate with. When someone reads your work, he will see himself in your story and thus will stick to reading it to the end. If you don’t know what to write, try out this exercise, it will definitely help you.
3) MODIFY AN ALREADY EXISTING STORY IDEAS:
Nothing is new. No experience is super exclusive. Writer’s can take ideas that already exist and build on them. You can recreate a story you read and really liked. Take a book you love, study it’s plot, understand it’s characters and scenes, then try to recreate that story but with added spice. You can change the audience, characters and setting, but then, try to follow the plot pattern of your model story. Let the book you have already, be a guide to you. Remember, you are just taking an idea, and recreating it. You are not copying exactly what happened in the book.
4) USE WRITING PROMPTS:
A writing prompt could be a picture, a sentence, etc, that gives you an idea to write on. Writing prompts gives you the opportunity to stretch your imagination. It makes you write about things you would normally not consider, they could provoke strange thoughts and also be done as a writing exercise. It might not be related to what you really want to write about in that instance, but it will help you think deeply and bring up ideas for your WIP (work in progress). You don’t have to write extensively on a prompt, you could just write a few pages. The idea is that you have something to write about every single day. You could ask a friend to give you daily writing prompts, or you could join a writing community.
5) JOT THINGS DOWN:
Literature mirrors society. You can draw ideas from the things that happen around you. What did someone say at the mall that made you laugh? What did your dog do to piss you off? Make a habit of jotting things down, that’s how you can develop ideas to fuel your writing. A great way to get ideas for your fiction is to write from daily life experiences.
RACHAEL ASIKPO
You can learn more about Creative Writing Here!
My name is Racheal Asikpo. I can take the creative weight of completing your stories. I can also give you 70% distance from the writing and research. I offer ghostwriting, developmental editing and copyediting services. How about you allow a fresh pair of eyes give you a fresh breath of air?
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