Young Writers Society

I'm wanting to being writing on my first proper piece soon. But was wondering, where do you get your inspiration for writing from? Personal triumph or failure? An over-active imagination? Or randomly?

I'm probably the latter.

Last night I set myself a challenge, that I want to have something completely written, with depth. I hadn't a clue what to write about so picked random words out of the dictionary.

Haywire
Riddle
Camp
Xenophobia
Opprobrium

I'm trying to piece somethings together and i'm getting closer. But was interested to know your source of motivation?

Your method of coming up with an idea, I like. Especially since those words are such lovely ones, I could imagine writing a very nice short story with those.

Most of my ideas come very randomly. My interest in the '20s and theaters and jazz music with a cabaret style made me sit around, and now I have my novel Speakeasy to work on. It isn't what I wanted it to be, but it is something altogether different. But maybe that is for the better?

As for my short story ideas, they come out of no where. Sometimes just little thoughts that grow. Most writers complain about having too many ideas, but for me I usually don't have enough. Or maybe I have lots and I just don't take any notice of them? *shrugs* Who knows.

I get my ideas from a hyper-active imagination and watchin glots of movies, reading lots of books etc. helps me piece things together.

I personaly started out my story the way I did all my others. I expected it to be two pages long and then me never working on it again. I mixed in my personaly experieances and pain, and even joy. It turned into something I never thought would happen... A 145 page story. Of course I still have a ways to go but if you have a good unique, original idea, stick with it as hard as you can. Thats it...

~Pol

That little "voice" inside my head doesn't shut up. For the love of God, it needs to go on vacation!

Combined with "the voice," I too have an over active imangination. Books are key, your imgination is endless.

That last bit should be on a fortune cookie.

I'd totally be a liar if I didn't say "movies and books", but I've been trying to wean myself off of them to get the really weird, good stuff. Not going so well. -_-

If not that...probably location would be my biggest new one. I like to ramble about it a lot, actually- my home state, thrice removed: Nebraska. I love it. I'm quite biased, but I think it's the most gorgeous place on this Earth, and out west...phwoar, you get so many ideas just from being in a place so peaceful and pure. */sappy*

So, I'll probably end up being one of those people who spends lots of money buying small cabins in the middle of nowhere to hole up and write. There's a place I'd want one in the Sandhills, and another one...if you've ever been to the Grand Canyon, the little artists' studio at the Bright Angel trailhead. What'd I'd do for that sort of atmosphere. XD

Lately, I seem to get most of my inspiration for ideas from song titles. Also, other books can, I find, be a good starting block for an idea, the shell, if you like, the details of which I fill in when outlining/writing.

My motivation, however, comes completely differently. Now that the Harry Potter series has actually finished (I'm still grieving for my loss), it has given me great motivation to start outlining the plot of my first book, and, ultimately, to start writing it.

I listen to the classical music station on the radio. I was trained to think of a story for the songs I listen to [my flute teacher is mad at me if I don't have a story or a picture ], and it just kinda stuck. It will seem boring at first, but if you don't let yourself become distracted, it's very helpful.

I also end up thinking random things right before I sleep. The downside to this is that I don't feel like waking up to write them down. How do I remedy this problem? I write a few words on a sticky note [I don't even open my eyes], stick it on the wall, and read it in the morning. Always amusing, if nothing else

My ideas came come from anywhere, the idea my first novel (which I am currently in the middle of editing), came from personal experience, but then from that base I turned to my overactive imagination to really get the story interesting.
My second novel (which I haven't had I chance to do more than brainstorming about), came from daydreaming. I had read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and I was just thinking about the book, when something popped into my head and I just ran with it.
Most of my better short stories are also based on personal experience that has been beefed up a bit.

Well, the fact that I have rather frequent mood swings helps. I know, I know, you're all shocked that the bird is a little moody . But seriously--I'll get really obsessed with something (right now it's Alan Rickman) for a few days, maybe a week or more, and when it's over, bits of that obsession--the good parts that survived--are still with me. And eventually enough of these bits get rolled around in my mind, bumping into each other and either sticking, scattering, or merging, and after awhile the sum total of several different moods and thoughts will emerge on paper.

That's what happened with my novel Gypsie Eyes. I had the idea for one part of the story for a really long time: a young man seeking out his childhood friend to help him. One of the characters, Boom, had been an imaginary friend since I was 10, and I'd recently developed a facination for Gypsies. Rolled all together: they became a cohesive story.

So my main advice: write stuff down. Random stuff. Words that sound nice together. Sights or sounds or smells that make an impression, however small. Accidentally spilling purfume on my feet gave me one of my best setting ideas of all time--just be in tune with your more...flighty side.

Well at the moment i can't find -anything- to motivate me =X I've tried reading, watching films/movies that i love, tv series, going out with friends...but i'm stuck =X

i get my insiration 4rm personal experiences since im a teenager and have a lot of those.if u no wat i mean.

I personally get inpiration very randomly...
Like, for instance, a few days ago I started to write a new story...
About dragons.
And the idea for it came from absolutely NO WHERE.
I just sat down and started typing.
But then sometimes when I really really WANT to write I have nothing going on in my head, and can't write anything.
Sometimes its frustrating, but when that inspiration does hit me I've learned to grab it and run with it. =D
Ha ha ha.

One great way to get ideas is to just observe things. Watch people and try to imagine how they think. Watch animals and try to figure out what they have to do to survive. Watch a street and see what conflicts or ideas you think of. What was the ambulance for? What if that person was a known criminal? One idea my drama teacher said was to sit on the bus for a full round trip, and see how people are. Inspiration never comes when you sit down and think, it comes when you get out in the world.