Praetorian

I think I am trying too hard. I'm getting really frustrated with my lack of creative thought. I'll sit in bed, wracking my mind for an idea, come up with something totally awesome, only to realize a few seconds later that that has already been done. I'm driving myself insane because I want to be published so badly.

Any tips to relax and just let them come. My probably is, if I don't make myself thing about it, I won't. When my mind wanders, which it does alot, it is either making up a new drum beat, or putting myself into the latest story I'm reading. Right now, I'm Harry Potter's older sister... anyway, anyone have some tips to get the creative juices flowing?

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"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum." --Epitoma Rei Militaris," by Vegetius.

purple peaches

im finding (im just coming back after years off) that while i was trying to find insperation it never came, so i trawled to net and got just a whole lot of prompts closed my eyes stabbed one and away i went. other wise i used to go ly in what ever sun i could find and daydream and then something would pop into my head! so not a big help am i!

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Sarah
my rambling

AdamR

A thread some time ago was all about whether or not all the ideas to write about had already been taken. The general outcome was that a heck of a lot had, but there are still millions more out there.

You can never write about something truely unique, but you can bring thoughts together and a plot and characters which in turn, is unique to others. There are so many ways of saying the same basic thing without it sounding like the same thing.

You know what I mean...

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"Excellence in all things, and all things to the glory of God."
- Motto of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church

PigletLover

I think what you are experiencing is common to all writers. Secretly, most writers believe that there is some secret club that the best sellers like King, Crichton, and Grisham belong to. By going through some top secret initiation, they are given access to the holy grail of the writer's muse.

When I started writing seriously, I had a monstrous time coming up with topics to write about. What worked for me was sitting in a park, or a mall, or talking to friends. Learn to realize the good ideas when they come. That's all you can do. Then roll with it.

Talia_Brie

I get ideas roll through my head fairly often. Some people write them down, but I don't. I just figure if it's a good idea, I'll remember it. If it's not worth remembering, then . . .

I don't think that's very helpful though.

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gabriella

What ideas are you talking about?

If you're referring to the ones upon which your story is based, then yeah, those are all taken (quest to save goodness, forbidden love, transporting to another word, aliens, teen problems, etc etc etc... they're all taken. It's one in a google that you'll have something wholly new.) So give up the idea of getting something totally different - take the idea, get a firm hold of it, dribble it a bit - left hand, right hand, both hands - toss it in the air a few times and then SHOOT, and cross your fingers that the idea goes whisking through the net of your story.

But if you're talking about the smaller ideas that get you and your characters from A to B then those aren't taken. And if they are, there's still a ghost of an idea left that you can mold and shape into your own groovy-little idea.

As for how I get my ideas... well, I have a notebook, and I sort of write a diologue between myseld and...uh...myself. I just keep asking myself question after questiong, barraging me with flaws and gems in my ideas until I have everything cleared up. It's also a great way because that way you can write what, exactly, you want to happen - say if you want Bob to get injured, than that's going to have an impact on how they get away. Plus asking myself questions lets me see different views and angles and twists and alternations that I wouldn't have thought of before.

So there I am, sitting in front of my little notebook, and throwing idea after idea at my self, until all but one comes bouncing off my forehead.

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You write by sitting down and writing - Bernard Malamud.

DawnMorningStar

I tend to get most of my ideas while doing something rather brainless, like driving my car or taking a shower. My mind is constantly wandering. I keep a mini notebook in my purse, so if something playing on the radio inspires me, or my imagination sparks a particularly intresting scene or idea, I can write it down.

Even if it's not a complete thought or scene, write it down for later. Then, when you look at it again, other ideas might come to you that you can add to it. Or perhaps wait until you have several ideas written down and see how you can incorporate them all together.

Usually, I'll have a basic idea of what I want a story or scene to be about, and as my mind wanders, I'm able to add various details and dialogue to it this way.

Hope that helps!