Some writers have a variety of ideas swirling around their brains just waiting to be developed into their next novel.I’m not one of those kind of writers.
I focus on one idea, brainstorm, and if it has potential, I outline and begin writing. Sometimes the idea takes off and sometimes it dies out. Well, it’s happened again. I’ve been hit with an idea for a new novel and I’m noticing a pattern. My lightbulb moments seem to revolve around water. Weird, huh?
The initial spark that turned into my current WiP struck while rinsing my recyclables and carrying them to the garage. My next idea, which is on hold for now, came to me while doing the dishes. This week while washing my hair another idea started taking shape. I was thinking about a friend who’s daughter missed the cut off birth date for moving up to the next soccer level, my mind began to wander, and before I knew it I had a rough skeleton of a YA dystopian before I had rinsed the conditioner out of my hair.
This is crazy! I know nothing about world building. I love to read dystopians, and in fact, have 2 on reserve at the library, but never in a million years did I ever imagine I’d write one. Even though dystopians are the new vampire novel – very hot in YA right now – there are indications that that trend is passing. That doesn’t matter so much to me since I don’t write to trends. Dystopian writing is so outside my comfort zone and I admire those who write them well. Contemporary MG/YA fiction is what I like to write.
I tried to shrug off the idea, but it keeps returning to my head with more details.
My next step will be to brainstorm and write down whatever comes to mind, then maybe a rough outline. This will be another backburner project – one to simmer while working on Nitpicky. And if I get stuck, I can always take a shower, run through the sprinkler, wash the car...
Where do your ideas come from?
Sometimes dreams. Sometimes random fights of whimsy. Sometimes they start as one thing and completely morph into something else upon closer examination.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing where they can pop up. Like yours.
My ideas come from books I'm reading or from dreams I've had. I don't know the first thing about writing a dystopian book, but after a dream and reading a few dystopian novels, I started hashing out an outline. I have no idea what will come of it, but it's kind of exciting to branch out of my normal comfort zone!
ReplyDeleteThe two projects I am working on now came to me on the bus and whilst I was drinking beer!
ReplyDeleteI've also had a third project pop into my head which came to me whilst I was watching the Royal Wedding, but I won't get to start that until Sep/Oct at the earliest.
Often it is the ones that just appear without looking that are the best.
Don't you just love it when shiny new ideas creep up on you? My ideas usually jump in the car while I'm stuck in traffic.
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