Some of us write very well and are drawn strongly to writing but are challenged in the idea department, while others—Willie Nelson and Holly Lisle come to mind—just reach up and pluck those ideas right out of thin air, time after time, in seemingly endless streams. If you are among the idea-challenged, does that mean that you don't have talent or aren't really a writer?
I don't think so. I just think it means that, as the saying goes in my family, different people are different. Which is more valid, a 4. grade average for a kid who breezes through with one zip through the textbook or a 4. for a kid who has to struggle for each point? Surely kid number two is no less a good student! You may have many "natural" talents as a writer. Perhaps (like me, usually) your dialogue sparkles and your characters are rich and deep, or maybe you've got a real feel for place. We've all got strong suits and weak suits. We need to shore up the weak ones while honing the strong.
Creativity and imagination are not mysterious forces whose wellspring is beyond your reach or ken. They are right there inside you, and they have been all along. It's just that some of us need extra connections to reach them, just as some people can memorize a phone number or list at a glance or telling while others need to write it down or use some other memory aid. Your muse, your imagination—that creative place and self inside you—is unique, just as you are. Some muses respond to being courted and wooed, while those at the other end of the pale need a good swift kick to get them going, and there are lots of points and concatenations between. What does your muse want? How can you know?
Try Things
There are better ways to get ideas.
If you're anything like me, you already know that staring at the wall worrying the bone of 'what the heck can I write a story about that will be interesting?', while less painful than beating one's head on the nearest wall or desk, is a thoroughly pointless exercise. Ok, that's good. If you know something doesn't work, no need to waste more time on it, right? Move along to something else instead. If you try enough things, something is bound to work. I will give you some ideas for things to try and hope that there's something on this list you haven't looked at or that you can look at in a new light.
Work with Images
Build a collection of bookmarks to sites like Imagekind or fabulous personal image galleries like Purple Snow, or prowl the seemingly endless galleries of photography by Luc Viatour, an incredibly talented photographer from Belgium. I don't know much about him, since my French is negligible and his English seems just up to understanding enough to grant me permission to use linked images of his to inspire writers on this site, but he has put together an amazing gallery of images— seaside, mountains, carnivals, nature, and more. If you want to challenge yourself, click 'random image' (or if you want a gallery, pull down the drop-down midway down the left, close your eyes and let your finger wander up and down a little, then let go), examine what you get, and write for ten minutes, wherever it takes you. Even if you don't come up with the idea of the century, it's a good way to get loose.
If you think a stroll down country lanes through field, mountain, and meadow is just what you need to make your muse go "oooo" and cough up some of the good stuff, visit Alison Meyer Photography. I am fortunate to live in a very beautiful part of the world, and no one captures the personality, spirit, color, and form of the Palouse region and bordering mountain country better than Alison Meyer. On the other hand, if you are looking for eclectic with a touch of serendipity, take a trip through the ether to the Prichard Art Gallery, where you can check out the Current Exhibit or browse the Gallery show.
Hard copy images are great, too. Collect post cards, pictures from magazines, photos, greeting cards, books of art prints, creativity cards, even Tarot cards. You don't have to know anything about Tarot to use the images, which are often highly detailed, full of layered symbolism (generally, quite aside from whatever they might symbolize for students of the Tarot), and quite interesting. Anytime an image catches your eye, give it another look, and consider adding it to your collection if there is a way to do so without stealing it. When you work with images, pay attention to small details as well as large obvious ones. Look at them closely, and if you decide to really work with one or more, consider spending at least ten minutes on a detailed description of the image and its parts. There is more information on working with images in Freewriting Basics.
Once you have images or image sources, don't just stick to one. Juxtapose them different ways. Maybe that rock face that reminds you of Uncle Andrew next to the close-up of the violets that were Aunt Martha's favorite flower will make a connection to an untapped memory. Maybe the picture of the old truck next to the image of the society ladies will give you an idea. By juxtaposing unrelated images, you release the power of surrealism which, according to my onboard dictionary, seeks to "release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images." So visit the Write 'em Cowgirls Galleries, or take a handful of images, unleash the creative potential of your unconscious, and write!
Try Some Creativity Resources
These days, my top creativity resources are drawn from the twenty tools at the heart of Holly Lisle's Create A Plot Clinic e-book. While the tools are certainly useful in creating plots or solving plot problems, they are equally useful for creating characters, coming up with story ideas in the first place, generating ideas for adding conflict, and more. At ten bucks, it's a real bargain. I have writing books that retailed for a lot more than don't give a fraction of the value, but if you're really broke, try downloading the free Holly Lisle's Professional Plot Outline Mini-Course, which includes a free email course in Using Basic Conflicts to Build Plot. The very first time I worked my way through that one I came up with a surprisingly good new character/plot/story idea. In fact the freebie is worth getting even if you do plan to spring for the full Clinic.
There are a lot of books around that claim to be full of writing prompts and story starters. Some are more aimed at kids (or in perhaps some cases aren't sure who they are aimed for or trying to split the difference). If you're going to pay full price for this kind of book, try to get a look at it first. "What if you were a Slinky?" doesn't do a whole lot for me and might not for you either, so don't buy a pig in a poke. The Story Spinner, a cute little cardboard gadget with three wheels and words or phrases that show up in slots in the wheels would be fun thing for a lot of kids who write but also has some potential for adults, too. On the front, you can dial up setting, starter, and one or more words, while the back provides a further opportunity for a theme and "recipe." For example, under the "Lobster Tail" heading, you use 1 Starter, 1 Setting, 4 Words, and "Create a story about something fishy going on"—if I went with what happens to be on the other side, the starter would be "She took the suitcase" the setting would be "at a hide-away", and what is sitting in the word box is "Nightmare." Not all the possibilities are that obviously dramatic, but considering what someone like Holly could do with that, this is a fun and potentially useful toy for writers of all ages.
The best prompts and starters book that I've seen so far is The Writer's Book of Matches — 1,001 Prompts to Ignite your Fiction by "the staff of fresh boiled peanuts, a literary journal." The prompts in this romp through the fields of creativity are divided into three types: Situation Prompts, Dialogue Prompts, and Assignment Prompts. The range of ideas is eclectic and interesting, and the quotes from authors of note are a bonus. I like this one.
The best online resource for story starters and inspiration that I know of is "Justin's Daily Exercises" (aka "Zette's Gym"), on Forward Motion for Writers. You need to be a registered user to view this forum, but since registration is easy and painless and protects your right of first publication, this is a good thing. It's worth registering just for Justin's ideas, even if you don't have time to do much on the other forums. He's another of those "pluck them out of the air" people, and he has amazed me over the course of many years with his ingenuity.
If you haven't already checked out Freewriting Basics and Freewriting Prompts, you may find some creativity boosters there, too, but try to remember it's really all inside you—the most amazing stuff. Keep trying different things until your muse coughs up the good stuff, and never overlook the magical connections that can result from invoking the power of surrealism. Your vision is depending on you.
What helps you the most when you have a dip or challenge in ideas and creativity? Feel free to email me and tell me about it.
Help Still Needed! Cowgirl Call to Action!
