i'm writing a book and i'm not sure what to write about?

Question

does anyone have any ideas of a novel they would be interested in reading about.its going to be a fiction that takes place anywhere between 2000 to now.

Answer 1

Cal, I can give you ideas (I do give one below) but I think showing you how to easily find ideas may be more valuable for you.

Stories are a metaphore for life. Before you even begin to write you must have something to say or else your characters go from scene to scene without any meaning like in the examples above. There are three things that I believe are important and these three things are often confused with each other. Learning about these I think will help you to move your story:

1) Premise
2) Setting
3) Theme

Let me illustrate the difference so you can easily find the theme and understand its difference from the setting and premise. By seeing how a writer creates stories, you can see it from his or her point of view and clearly find the theme, create a premise and setting and learn to do it yourself.

The controlling idea is the meaning of your story. It is another word for "theme". The premise is what happens. The setting is the place and time where it's set.

For example, when you ask someone who just watched or read "Lord of the Rings" what it's about, they'll probably say something like, "it's an epic story about a hobbit who is given a huge responsibility to take a magical ring into a mountain to destroy it and save the world and elves and men unite to....etc.." Or they may answer "It's about Middle Earth". These are not themes. The first is simply the premise. The latter is the setting. What the story is *really* about is: "Freedom is attained when we risk and sacrifice ourselves." That is the controlling idea (the theme) of the story. Of course, we can debate if that is the true controlling idea but I'm only giving you my interpretation.

Harry Potter's premise contains magic, and the setting is in a fantasy land, but the theme is not about magic nor fantasy. The theme of Harry Potter might be: "Happiness prevails when we are confident of our own gifts and individuality." Discuss. =)

Now you can apply this understanding as I'll explain below with a story to any story you read.

First, I'll explain the premise. This way you'll see the difference.

A writer finds a premise through research and asking "what if" for any situation. If you read the news, one can find many ideas if you simply ask yourself "what if" as you read through it.

For example, I randomly selected a news article on Yahoo News:
Survivors recall horror of flu pandemic

As I'm reading through each line, I'm thinking about story ideas and asking "what if". For example, I read this line:

>> The flu swept through the nation's capital, which had attracted thousands of soldiers and war workers.

Now I'm asking myself, 'what if someone built a virus and orchestrated a large event so they could infect everyone in it to inflict the most damage?'

That's a start, but sounds a bit cliche, but that's okay. Let your mind race and you'll then ask "what if" upon "what if". What if the person accidently released the virus and kept silent while everyone around them died? What if the event was organized by a force where people are called to gather in one location but everyone made excuses for going there without realizing they were being forced -- only a supernatural force could do that -- and the reason is the supernatural force wanted to end the human race? hehe...this gets into some horror or science-fiction if that's your bag. But you can see the magic "what if" at work.

Let's choose the supernatural 'what if' as the premise in this example. Now we're going to start thinking of the controlling idea. This is what is the heart of your story -- the story you need to tell and what the story is *truly* about.

The controlling idea is not a single word; it's not going to be about "viruses" nor "aliens" nor "Civil War". The Controlling Idea tells us, "life is like this!"

The controlling idea will be a sentence that tells us how and why life changes from one condition of existence to another (again, theme and controlling idea are the same -- I prefer to use controlling idea). This change will show up in the climax of the last act of your story. That's where you will find the controlling idea.

Concerning how I came up with Harry Potter's controlling idea, I looked at the last acts' endings of every Harry Potter story. What value changed? Harry went from being unconfident to confident and therefore was happy whereas each story opens with him in a situation and the world crumbling around him and constantly being challenged. Look at the last act's value change.

Fine writers filter everything they write through the controlling idea and then work up to the last climax -- look at the value that exists throughout the story because there will be themes that come and go. For example in Harry Potter he often seeks to befriend those who try to do him harm so we learn that "Trust is earned when we love our enemy" -- or because that didn't always work we could say, "Evil prevails when we try to love our enemies" but either of these is not the controlling idea of the entire story.

Going back to my story, by following the writer's work and using the premise that people are being supernaturally led to gather in one location, we need to come up with a protagonist. I'm going to use a "what if" and ask 'what if the protagonist is also under this supernatural spell?' That will make it more interesting because it will provide deeper conflict. Not only will he have to try to save the world but also get out the spell himself perhaps.

Some more questions I will ask myself and we're going to come to the controlling idea of the story I created: What is this spell? What is so attractive to force these people to gather without them even knowing they're being forced? Now this is starting to get rich. We know a lot of people do things they don't want because they're manipulated. Cults are famous for doing this. Charismatic leaders and propaganda are also effective. People are manipulated in many ways that many fail to see they're being manipulated. And those who best manipulate do it without you knowing. Life is like that! Now I'm starting to find my controlling idea.

My controlling idea is a sentence, it's not simply "manipulation". So, I start with something -- it's better than nothing: "Evil prevails when we fail to examine our conscious and instead follow others" or "Compassion prevails in humans only when we follow our conscious". Whichever we choose, it must be clear in the last-climax of the last act of your story.

As a writer develops the story, they work to that last act. Many writers paste that controlling idea onto the computer monitor and filter everything they write through it. Your characters may go in different directions, but this controlling idea is the writer's guide.

Concerning the setting, you can place this story in a different dimension, in a different time, or on a different planet. That will change the dynamics of the story but it won't change the controlling idea and that is where the power of the story exists -- it gives it meaning.

For the setting let's place this premise 50 years into the future on Earth.

The character will have an object of desire. In the premise that I've created, the supernatural force is manipulating people to gather in one location so it can infect them with a virus. Because I think this force is intelligent and sly, it's not going to be identical for every peson and is going to feed on the weakness of every individual. I think the best object of desire for the protagonist is going to be his pursuit of power within his sphere of influence. So, let's say he's an oceanographer (I pulled that out of nowhere). He would become famous and influential if he made an important discovery -- perhaps a discovery that can save lives such as tsumani detection technology (but in 50 years in the future we could make a more futuristic device). This is what he wants -- power. The force provides him the opportunity to seek this object and eventually he's going to have to go to this one location where the force intends to infect him. Now we have a lot more what ifs' to ask. As you can see, we're starting a great outline of the story and fleshing it out.

But we need to get back to the controlling idea.

I like up-endings so I want him to become redeemed in the end. I think his pride is too great and his pursuit of power is evil. His idea of saving lives is a great idea, but his reasoning is not -- he's doing it to gain influence for himself, not to help people -- this makes him conflicted and provides excellent dimension to his character. This force is going to manipulate his desire. But I am also going to add a subconscious desire to this. I want it so that he really doesn't want power...he simply doesn't recognize that the work he does already helps to save lives by adding to the research of others who are trying to find effective tsunami detection devices. He'll end up realizing this in the end. And this matches my controlling idea: "Evil prevails when we fail to examine our conscious and instead follow others." His pursuit of power only leads him into trouble as he follows others in trying to please them. But we still have to deal with this supernatural force that is manipulating everyone. Do we make our protagonist one who defeats the force, or do we make him lose by it. Either way, we must know the controlling idea clearly at the end of the last climax no matter what he does.

Although I went off in a science-fiction direction, the controlling idea I discovered can exist in any genre and any setting whether this is based during the time of the Civil War, the present, or on Mars.

Although I wrote a lot, I hope leading you through the writer's process will help you to see clearer how stories are developed and make it easier to find the theme and your premise and then things will begin to fall into place.

Concerning those who say "write what you know" I think that's just as helpful as "just write". In other words, it isn't helpful. No matter what you write about it will include research and imagination and stepping into shoes of people you don't know: your characters. Stephen King said something to the effect about writing what you know, he said instead, write what you like. How many science fiction writers know about traveling to Mars? Or how many horror writers know about ghosts? Or how many fantasy writers know about how to kill a dragon?

Answer 2

You have to have the vision before you can write. So, since you don't have a vision of a story, I suggest you don't try to write anything just yet.

Now, a way to obtain vision is by looking at the world around you. Read newspapers, look at the news and just talk to people and see what situations/experiences seem most interesting then develop a story around it. When you do decided on a story, the next most important thing to do is to develop your characters fully before you write. If you don't your characters will lack depth and the reader won't have an emotional attachment with them.

My suggestion to you is to pick up Writing a Novel for Dummies. It's very helpful and goes through the entire writing process, as well as revising and publishing.

Also, if you have a particular genre in mind (romance, crime drama, coming of age, etc.), read a book in that genre that has gotten good reviews to see what that writer did. It will help you to know what's selling.

Also, read books on character archetypes to help you create believable characters that people can relate to.

Also, when you find a plot (eg. man finds a document in an old heat vent that suggests that HIV was created by the government), you need to research things on government, science, etc. If you don't research your topic, your story will seem fake and you want your readers to feel as if they're reading something that really happened.

Books on dialogue and description are also very important.

When you've figured our your basic story or have something that you think may be good for a story, email me and i'll help you as much as I can with developing your idea into a plot of some sort to help you get going.

Answer 3

Well, that's a start. Most of my books take place in the not-so-distant future, and even farther up the time stream.

But you gotta start fleshing out your storyline. A set date is good.

What's next?

Better yet: Instead of asking yourself what your readers would be interested in *reading*, ask yourself, "What would *I* be interested in reading?"

That will set the tone for your fiction book like I have with mine.

You see, I don't go by what other people read this days--because everyone's tastes change so much and so *often*--I write what *I* Iike to read.

What interests me the most.

Answer 4

-everytime an idea comes to you for a story, no matter how random write it down and put it in a drawer to look at later for ideas
-design some characters. Sometimes its easier to make characters first. You could use something like this to help you: http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jun98/lazy2.htm
-just write. Somtimes just writing nonsense about your characters actually gives you an idea
-don't worry about grammar and stuff like that. You can always go back and edit. Just work on getting words on the page.

Answer 5

I would recommend that you pick up a copy of a writing exercise book, like "What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers" and see what comes from some of the exercises. It would mean more to you as a writer to come up with the idea yourself, and it would show through your writing.

Answer 6

The golden rule in writing is to write about what you know about. So the question is: what do you know about? I might guess you know about yourself better than you know anything else. Therefore write about you, where you are in your life and why. That would mean that your novel would be about someone figuring out what to write a book about and exploring all sorts of angles.

In any case, good luck with it.

Answer 7

I agree with texazlady....if you write what you know about or have a passion about, the words will flow. If you don't know what to write about, why should I as a reader care about what you write? You have to make the reader care, and if you don't have something you care enough about to write a book on the subject, don't waste your time. Find another hobby.

Answer 8

Tell you what... switch off your computer. Take a walk around your own room or maybe board a bus/train n listen to the daily conversation of teens, office workers talking on phones. Maybe you could immerse yourself one day in a library, ideas will come when it strikes you onto your head...good luck

Answer 9

Write about Hitech affecting lives of people.

Answer 10

There is commonly one guide, that evokes one to jot down a guide. The trouble is , which you can just like the writing variety or the discipline topic , or each, and might be tempted to jot down whatever identical. Don't. If you quite are inspired with the best way a creator might make you think with phrases on paper, and characters that come to existence for your brain, then intention for that. Start with what you realize. Write approximately your existence, experiences of matters you might have skilled, or the ones of others, making use of alternative names in situation of the truly humans, or even exchanging the tale to make it your possess. It is first-class train. Then whilst you've mastered the artwork of the foundation, comparable to making use of phrases sparingly. Meaning do not say whatever for 2 pages, that you'll be able to bigger say in a couple of option terms. Learn to edit your self. I discovered that when I've written a tale, I learn it backwards, the final web page first after which the following, till I learn the primary web page. Every creator thinks each phrase they write is golden and feature difficulty throwing out what is not wanted, and that is the excellent method I recognize of understanding what is not major to the tale and what has been repeated. I wrote a 27 web page quick tale as soon as, for an artistic writing magnificence, and edited it down to fourteen pages, doing this. I learn one web page and discovered that within the web page earlier than, I had virtually mentioned the identical factor, and used much less flowery phrases ,with extra affect. There went a complete paragraph, etc. When it used to be learn out loud to the instructor and sophistication , there wasn't a dry eye within the room. The instructor used to be inspired with how relocating the tale used to be, and requested wherein the inspiration got here from. I informed her it had quite occurred to me, that it used to be a real tale. Knowing that, she had me reread the whole tale. I then informed her that I had edited out thirteen pages. She used to be surprised, and requested to look what I had taken out, because the tale used to be quality how it used to be. I defined how I learn it backwards , as to be in a position to aspect with my possess phrases. She cherished the inspiration. When I paintings on my novel, which regardless that it's absolutely fiction, it has topics and emotions I recognize approximately, there are one of the humans I recognize in truly existence combined into each and every individual, adding plenty of myself. I uncover it is a well method to know the way each and every individual might react, founded at the humans I recognize and the way they might react, it continues the discussion truly sounding, and also you get to understand your individual's in detail, extra rapidly. Because as soon as you might have fleshed out your characters appears,character, tendencies, quirks, conduct, and pursuits, as you get writing, they frequently lead you wherein they have to move. You will recognize whilst a scene , or discussion is not proper, on account that that individual will inform you that they might not ever react in that process, or say the ones phrases. After all who is aware of them bigger than you. You created them. When it suits them , you realize it. It's aspect making a tale, and aspect trusting that your characters will lead you to the right finishing. It turns into a deliver and take among the skillability and the foundation. But whilst it's flowing, just like the paint off an artist brush and the characters are racing alongside practically quicker than you'll be able to write or kind, then simply allow them to run. You can continuously edit and blank it up later. Sometimes, mid tale , you're going to come to a fork within the avenue and decide on yet another set of parties, so that they can paintings even bigger at enchanting the reader, proper as much as the final phrase. Nothing is written in stone, it is within the writer's vigour to color a inexperienced sky , if it has intent within the threads that weave the tapestry of his tale.

Answer 11

No offense, but you'll want to polish your grammar and punctuation before even attempting to write a book.