Friday Speak Out!: Fun Places to Find New Stories

by Denise Jaden

I am a firm believer that the seeds of stories and characters can come from absolutely anywhere. One of my novels, for instance, was sparked during a memorial service for a good friend. Another was sparked when I came home to find that my roommate had left our house in an odd state of disarray. Yet another was sparked in the first five minutes of a movie I was watching. I speculated on where the movie was going. I was completely off-base, but that was only to my benefit, because I was left with my own unique story idea to pursue.

When I speak to other writers, one of the first questions I ask is, “Where do you get your best story ideas?” Time and time again, my mind is opened to new avenues, like the man who was inspired by war stories at his grandfather’s deathbed, or the young girl who never met an animal whose story she didn’t want to tell.

Wherever I went, I started asking myself, “What if I had to come up with a story or character idea from these surroundings? What would it be?” These so-called “forced” ideas have become some of my most inspiring. I think our creative minds flourish more when they are pushed than they do when we sit back waiting for ideas to flood our minds.

If we rush through our lives without paying attention, we may miss these opportunities. I have taken the time to build my observational muscles. I am the perfect person to write about observation because I was not born with this natural ability. I truly have had to learn it. You know during political elections when political parties flood streets and lawns with signs and posters and buttons for their candidates? Yes, well, more than once my husband has asked me who I plan to vote for, and I’ve replied, “Oh, is there an election coming up?”

That’s how blind I can be to the world around me if I don’t actively practice the skill of observation. Being a good observer and learning how to catalog the ideas around you is a little like becoming a collector — but not in order to fill up your house with useless knickknacks. You become a collector of characters, settings, motives, and obstacles.

To train yourself to be more observant, find something to open your mind to every day. Foster curiosity. Read something every day, whether it’s a newspaper ad, a poem, a short story, or anything. And actively watch people every day. Write down what you see, what interests you about people or places, and what questions roam in your mind after spending time observing people.

When you observe, consider the following ideas and questions:

• Practice really seeing the details around you. Set your watch for a minute or five minutes, look around yourself with purpose, and then when the time is up, close your eyes. How much can you remember?

• Do this with a buddy. One person keeps his or her eyes open and asks the other questions about your surroundings. Practice seeing, noticing, and remembering the little details.

• Go somewhere different regularly. Don’t just stick to the same routines. Purposefully visit a new coffee shop, restaurant, or gas station. Drive home from work using an alternate route and sit in a different chair in your home or office. How does this change your perspective or open your eyes to new details?

Finally, during your observations, or immediately after, make detailed notes. I encourage you to jot down everything, and circle anything that immediately resonates as something you think you’ll one day want to come back to. Take photos of interesting places, or, if you’re sneaky enough, of interesting people.

Resolve to take the time to be open-minded about the world around you. Ask questions, notice problems, and be curious. By building up your observation muscles, you’ll never again be stuck for new story ideas.

* * *

Denise Jaden is the author of the new book for writers, Story Sparks: Finding Your Best Story Ideas and Turning Them into Compelling Fiction, as well as the NaNoWriMo-popular guide, Fast Fiction, and several critically-acclaimed fiction titles. She is a sought-after speaker, motivating writers to find their own best story ideas, and then stirring up the drive to write them. She lives just outside Vancouver, BC with her husband and son. Find out more at denisejaden.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read More »

2 comments character ideas, Denise Jaden, finding a story idea, Friday Speak Out, new story, story ideas, The Power of Observation

Friday Speak Out!: Letting Go

by Susanne Brent

I had the slogan NO QUITTING pinned to the bulletin board near my desk. Each time I was tempted to give up on my novel, I would glance at the bulletin board and tell myself I was not a quitter. I could never abandoned the characters I created and that I’d grown to know and love, Genevieve and Darcy and all the others I birthed in my yet-unfinished manuscript. I must continue. I didn’t want to feel like a failure, to have wasted all those hours at the keyboard for nothing. How would I tell well-meaning friends who regularly asked about my novel that I, gasp, quit?

Letting go whether it be a job, a relationship or a story I’ve written, is a struggle for me. When it comes to objects, no problem. I donate clothes and other things to my local Humane Society thrift shop with ease. I’ll never be on a hoarder reality show. Yet, when it comes to people, I avoid saying goodbye. My loyalty may look commendable, but often it is fear holding me back from saying adios to that worn out friendship or stale job.

The same with my novel which I’ve labored on for more than seven years, hours spent writing and editing as well as priceless help revising from writer friends. I wrote 75,000 words, and find myself wanting to call it quits.

I revised the first chapters so many times that I am confused about my original intention. I committed the mistake writing instructors warned me against. I revised the beginning chapters before I finished the entire manuscript. For some writers revising while writing is fine, but not me. I should have just plowed through the entire story.

Ah well, it’s too late now to lament how I fouled up my writing process. I tell myself it wasn’t wasted time. I was writing and not dusting or cleaning the fridge I was practicing.

Last week while in Costa Rica I discovered not just the rainforest and monkeys, but a new idea for a novel I want to write. Those are the key words. I want to write. I don’t want to write my old novel anymore. There I said it. I confess. Now what?

I feel guilty. A quitter. I feel like a married woman with a new lover, obligated to my novel but wanting to start afresh. I worry, too, that I am untrustworthy and fickle. I’m able to discard a novel I’ve loved for the promise of the new.

To help myself let go, I tell myself I can revisit my novel someday. I grew as a writer even if the novel was never published. I apologized to my characters. I have to move on. There’s a new story calling me. I’m learning the four letter word quit doesn’t mean I’m a failure. Not when I am replacing it with another four letter word. True. I must be true to myself. And my writing.

* * *

Susanne Brent is a freelance writer who worked for several years as a newspaper reporter. She has had her news articles, short stories and essays published in various publications including Cup of Comfort for Christmas and Matter of Choice -- Twenty Five People who Transformed their Lives. Her blog is writerwaitress.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read More »

4 comments Friday Speak Out, new start, new story, novel writing, novel writing process, Susanne Brent, true to self