I've been enjoying PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) and getting a good start on filling my notebook with ideas. But I know some of the ideas I've jotted down aren't strong enough to carry an entire story.
I usually write them down anyway. I often find that some of my stories result from ideas that connect or resurface again later, maybe in a different, more interesting way. Often, ideas that come back again and again in my notebook are the ones that I end up developing into a story.
In fact, taking two apparently unrelated ideas (neither of which is strong enough to be a story on its own) and trying to see how to bring them together is a fun, creativity boosting idea that might result in something interesting.
So, my writing tip for today is to write down all your ideas, no matter how lame they seem at the time. You never know when they'll be useful. What do you do with ideas that are just not strong enough to stand alone as a story?
In case you're interested, here's my November writing goal update:
PiBoIdMo: Although I try to come up with a new idea every day, some days I'm on a roll and get several, while other days I end up with nothing. I figure it will all average out in the end.
Mini-NaNoWriMo: I haven't made much progress with my Mini-NaNoWriMo this week and I'm trying not to let that get me down. I've been doing many other (non-writing) important things. But I'm still enthusiastic and planning to continue to try to keep my focus on writing.
I have a lot of notebooks full of ideas, 99% of which never get any further than that. Which is how it should be, I think.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
Moody, I do have ideas that never materialize into anything either. But I find it interesting how some of my ideas resurface in diferent ways.
DeleteWhen I decided to write a new adult book, I had no idea what to write about. So, I started a file for brainstorming. The idea was that I would have tons of ideas to sort through when it came time to start planning. Only I didn't get that far. The first hit grabbed hard and wouldn't let go. And that's how I knew it was the right one. :D
ReplyDeleteThat happens to me sometimes too, Stina. But it's fun to play with the other ideas and see if they can be useful.
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