Useful Sources of Ideas
Ideas are everywhere. Some of them come naturally but it's worth knowing where
to look for that extra piece of inspiration.
Newspapers - especially the news-in-brief columns
Magazines - especially letters to the editor or agony aunts
Other people's conversations - eavesdrop shamelessly
Other stories - remember, there's no copyright on an idea, just the finished
product. That said, don't go 'borrowing' characters or large wads of print from
other people's work.
Jokes - most of them are mini stories in themselves
Television - like the newspaper, news programs are an excellent source of ideas,
so are documentaries, dramas/serials (like NYPD Blue, or maybe Tales from the
Crypt), and sometimes even commercials.
Books - we've mentioned this before, but ideas can be taken from books you read,
both fiction and non-fiction. Perhaps a character in history has enough of an
unknown past but an interesting life that it can be speculated on or your character
can play a role in that historical person's life, or be affected by said historical
figure in some way.
Making the Most of an Idea
Once something catches your fancy, interrogate it.
For example, if you see a young girl running for the bus in the rain, ask yourself
plenty of why's.
Why is she running, why is she catching a bus, why does she look sad/ angry/
happy, why doesn't she have an umbrella, why is she carrying a suitcase, why
is she alone?
Then you can go on to ask yourself; Who is she? Where is she from and where
is she going? What is she planning to do once she gets there?
Approach the idea from all perspectives and let your imagination run riot with
the what ifs...
Key questions to always ask are: who, what, why, how, and where? At least three of these should be answered for any scene and plot. Where is the scene taking place? Where is the plot taking place? Who is in this scene? Who will be the murderer at the end of the story? How will this person leave this very embarassing scene with as much dignity as possible? How will this person dodge being killed by the murderer? (These are examples mind you.)