While ideas aren't everything when it comes to writing, a great idea that excites you can help a lot of other things slide into place: it may come with a ready-made structure, it may create a great hook for readers, or it may simply be interesting enough to keep you going.
But what can you do when ideas never seem to come your way?
There are plenty of different techniques, and some work best for specific types of writing. Here are three of my favourites:
#1: Deliberately Put Aside Time to Come Up With Ideas
Works well for: blog or magazine articles
Whenever I need fresh article ideas, either for my own blogs or for clients' websites, I sit down and start making lists. I find it really tricky to come up with ideas when I'm starting a blank page, under deadline ... so I make sure I've got plenty ahead of time.
(Plus, when I'm working with an editor, I'll often send them several ideas at once so they can pick the ones they like best.)
Instead of coming up with one idea for your blog then writing it, deliberately put aside some time to generate ideas. I'd suggest doing this in shortish timed bursts: 20 minutes works well for me.
Some good ways to get going are to:
- Look at what's already been published on the blog (or in the magazine) that you plan to write for. Is there a particular topic you could take further? Is there a sideways step you could take?
- Look at comments (or letters from readers, or messages in a related online forum). What issues are coming up there? Is there something that could spark off a whole piece from you?
- Create a mind map. Write down the blog or magazine's topic/title in the centre, then brainstorm high-level categories. For each category, start drilling down to individual ideas.
#2: Take in Different Types of Art
Works well for: novels / novellas, short stories, poetry
When it comes to fiction, I find that I can't simply sit down for 20 minutes, come up with a bunch of ideas, then pick one I want to write about. I often have to be patient and wait for an idea to arrive of its own accord.
This can be tricky (especially as, every time, I worry that I'll never have a single idea again, and I have to reassure myself that I will eventually have something new and exciting to write about). Sometimes, my ideas have come pretty much out of nowhere. Other times, they've been strongly related to a different form of art (like a painting or a piece of music): the finished work may not bear any obvious
resemblance to whatever sparked it off, but it was enough to get me going.
If you want to try this technique, you could:
- Visit a local gallery or museum. Wander! See what catches your attention. You might want to carry a notebook (or take photos, if allowed).
- Use something that's already struck a chord with you in some way. Maybe it's your favourite track by a band you love, or a piece of art in your home. Is there a story lurking there for you?
- Read a lot ... especially outside your genre or type of writing. Some of my ideas have come from newspaper articles, for instance.
#3: Use a Starting Line, Image or Prompt
Works well for: short stories, journals, personal blog
Some writers work very well with ideas that are, to at least a slight degree, imposed upon them. If you're a freelancer, you might get assigned a particular topic or title to write about, for instance.
There are plenty of sources of starting lines for stories / poems, or prompts for them: competitions are a great place to look, as these may well have a particular theme or a starting / ending line that you need to include. (I find Writing Magazine's competitions great for this: specific enough to help me start generating ideas but broad enough for plenty of scope!)
If you're writing a journal or a more personal, diary-style blog, you might also enjoy working from prompts.
For some good sources of starting lines and prompts, try:
I hope you come up with lots of great ideas. :-)
