The blank page is the first and most essential obstacle any writer must face when giving birth to a successful story. One of the primary questions authors receive from fans and fellow writers alike, after all, is how they come up with their ideas in the first place. While there are as many different answers to that question as there are stories, there are a few basic methods that many writers share. Below are some of the sources of inspiration that famous authors have drawn on in the past that you can adapt for use in your own writing.
Shaping myths for the modern age. From the fauns of C.S. Lewis’ acclaimed Narnia series to the dæmons of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, many popular science fiction and fantasy stories draw on heroes, monsters, and settings from mythology to color their pages. If the world you have invented for your story seems a bit empty, why not take a look at Greek and Roman legends for creatures that you can adapt as your own? Norse, African, and even Japanese myths are also full of unique characters for you to explore.
Keep your eyes open. Everywhere and everyone can be a potential source of inspiration. Most writers take up people watching as a default hobby. Not only can this help you generate ideas and gather quirky character traits that you might want to use in your future heroes or villains, it also allows you to develop a more intuitive understanding of how people communicate in subtle and overt ways, which can make dialogue flow much more naturally from your pen (or keyboard). If you see two people having a conversation, try and think of the most outrageous thing they could be talking about – this can be a good jumping off point for a story.
Ask “what if?” of the past and present. Good fantasy and science fiction writers challenge everything they see, continually changing the shape of the world in their mind’s eye. Pick one thing – anything, from time to gravity to public restrooms – and ask yourself what the world would be like if that thing was drastically different or didn’t exist at all. Or think about how the modern world would be affected if a historical event, such as the French Revolution or the asteroid impact that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, had gone differently. What if wizards and centaurs had been involved in the Hundred Years War? Old “Twilight Zone” episodes are great examples of this technique!
Keep a journal. Ideas often come at the most inconvenient times. Keep a small journal where you can record dreams or ideas that come to you at school or any other time when you can’t sit down and write immediately.
Just start writing! Even if you feel like your creativity has been blocked by the mental equivalent of the Three Gorges Dam, it’s better to write something than give up all together. Ideas can be triggered by the strangest things, and even going through the motions of writing can sometimes help to stimulate your imagination. If you find yourself getting discouraged, just remember that as every blazing fire starts with a spark, so too does every great story begin with a small, often absurd thought.
