Where to Ideas Come From?

My first instinct when responding to this question is to say that if you have run out of ideas, you may not be cut out to write fiction. Since I asked the question, that is hardly a fair response. In my case, as a writer, I have to focus on lassoing in my ideas. I have so many it is almost like being in a corral full of cattle hoping to pick out the best from the herd.

When I first started writing at around the age of 12, I wrote about nearly anything that came to mind. I still have some of those treasured stories. I keep them so I can have a good laugh now and then. That's not to say there are no accomplished 12 year old writers, it is just to say that my work needed work.

At the same time my ideas had yet to mature, and research had yet to be added to my repertoire of author's skills. My ideas had to grow as I grew, expand as I expanded . . . Wait! That's not how I wanted to say that. – Editing on the spot: I needed to explore new horizons so that my ideas could move on to new horizons. – Sounds much better, right?

In a nutshell, as I matured so did my ideas. For a while I allowed well intentioned, often "professionals," too much control of my work. Example: At a romance writers meeting I was once told if I couldn't write an eleven page love scene, I couldn't write romance. My friend, Wanda, who had joined me that day, and I both sat stunned, stuck on that comment. I remember nothing else from the session.

As we left that meeting it was a matter of which of us was going to be first to burst forth with some kind of comment on the subject. I recall only that Wanda, a SF writer, said something about trying to figure out how her characters with tentacles, claws, and whatnot were going to manage a love scene at all, much less for eleven pages. I think she also ran a human version by me where a man and woman both wearing braces were stuck in an elevator. They kiss, the braces get stuck; and quite possibly it would take eleven pages for them to get apart again.

Oh yes, Wanda has a great sense of humor. While I, on the other hand, was still in awe of an eleven page love scene. My only comment was something like, "I haven't heard of any man who can . . . " Perhaps it's best I leave the rest to your imagination and just say I began counting pages of love published love scenes after that and realized there was a reason they were called romance.

I quickly realized writing explicit love scenes was not for me. While I loved romance, I saw romance and sex as two different things. Sex might be the culmination of romance done properly, but that is not necessarily the case in every story.

I learned I had to write what was comfortable for me. So, while the chemistry between two people may produce heat, it does not always have to produce fire, if the two components are separated before that happens. Thus, in my case, I had discovered sexual tension, and I use it often.

Sorry, I digressed on that subject. Back on track, my ideas come from a variety of places, perhaps the most is life. However, since I live a fairly uninteresting life, the most exciting aspects of my plots come from other sources. I used to watch Oprah to get ideas for plots and characters. Even the news held an abundance of possibilities. I would even sit in a public place and just watch people, often conceiving a character on the spot. Warning: never follow the people you are watching. Today that is called stalking.

In an earlier article I mentioned researching locations for plots in my stories. That is not to say I have never traveled and gotten a plot. Some of my most interesting plots have come at the most surprising times. Like the time my husband and I traveled to a lovely B&B in Lewistown, PA, to attend our granddaughter's christening. That night as my husband and I explored our lovely accommodations The Pineapple Inn, was conceived. The novel is now available at Amazon in soft cover and e-book.

Also, I have many stories that have come from dreams. I have regretted the nights I have not had a pad and paper handy by my bed so I could jot down a great dream, only to have forgotten it before morning. In fact, if I remember correctly, Eye of the Hurricane came to me in a dream. That short story is included in my first This and That collection.

Last, ideas can come from nearly any source. Friends have told me things, and I have told them while I may change names, I keep no secrets. Not totally true, but it sounds good.

In answer to my original question, ideas can come from nearly any place. Harvesting them and turning them into great stories is what makes us writers. I hope your ideas are many, and your harvest is fruitful.