How does someone come up with a good idea for a novel?

Question

Thank you for your helpful answers.

Answer 1

A writer doesn't "come up with" novel ideas. They are passionately inspired within themselves, stories that need to come out and be put on paper.

Answer 2

A novelist doesn't begin with a fully formed idea. Most keep journals and notebooks of their scrambled thoughts and ideas. Eventually an interesting character will come to mind and the author might write a short character sketch. Slowly the pieces begin to take on a life of their own and the characters begin to interact with their imaginary environment. Three cheers for word processors, because every part of every novel is rewritten many, many times until it satisfies the author. No serious author knows what the ending will be until he gets there. In the beginning you worry about character development. By the middle the plot has revealed itself. In the end, it's about dealing with all the loose ends.

Here's a great little book that will reveal most of the tricks to the trade: "So You Want to Write a Novel," by Lou Willett Stanek, Ph.D., 1994 I'll bet you can get it from Amazon for less than its original $10.95 suggested retail.

Answer 3

Read a lot (the bigger variety of topics, the better). Write a lot (doodle, and rhyme, and rant and rave). Go to places (both in the real world, and in your head) that make you comfortable and give your mind the freedom to roam. Then, go to a place that terrifies you. Write down what that felt, smelled, tasted like.
Read the newspaper and watch movies and decide what would have happened if she hadn't opened that door. What if he had told her how he felt in the first five minutes?

Most of all, have fun. Write write write. Don't look back until you've written a lot.

Good luck.

Answer 4

I agree with the answer by thewhiz. I used to keep a notebook with interesting names (and the meaning of the names), town names and random ideas and thoughts. A lot of writers call this notebook their "bible" because it is easy to keep track of your thoughts and when you are creating characters, you can put down personality traits and it is something you can go back to, so you don't have continuity errors etc.

Answer 5

just dont think about it. before i write anything i do something i like doing. just think about things that you would like to do or what you already know about. its easier than you think once you get started.

Answer 6

i get ideas in my dreams or nightmares, or from my enviroment that i am in, like in school

Answer 7

it cums 2 me in de middle of de nite and den i write a really fab novel ( the dark helps a lot wen u write 1) and ......................... well u know