How do people come up with ideas for novels? What a good way to start?

Answer 1

Life - anywhere - the news is often a big idea grabber for me. I can also get character ideas just sitting in the food court at the mall having a cup of chai. Ideas are everywhere. That's not the point. The point is to come up with a salable idea. Spend a lot of time wandering around bookstores - see what is hot. What's on the special tables in the front? Who is coming to do signings? What books do people on here seem to be raving about? The hard part is that whatever you write about, it is your obligation and responsibility to become an expert on the subject. That is why CW teachers usually suggest writing about what you know. For instance, if your book takes place in the Renaissance, you have to be an expert. You cannot make things up. That is cheating readers. You will find the ration between research time and writing time is about 5 to 1. Research is the key.

Once you have an idea, start filling a black and white notebook with any crazy thoughts you have. Just let your mind flow. After a while, start trying to organize those ideas into an outline. After that, start working on character studies. Really flesh out your characters. Give them lives. It has to be more than just "she is rich and mean". Give your characters memories, thoughts, opinions, likes and dislikes. Here again, writing about what you know can help. Maybe you have a specific memory from your own life you can loan to your character.

These character studies help you to see how your characters rub against each other. Who likes who, who hates who, who is jealous of who? Those relationships help you to develop backstories and sub plots. Plug these backstories into your outline. I tell people to use one color ink for your main plot and different colors for each backstory or subplot so you can move things around.

After you have done all this, plus the research, start thinking of a really kick *** first line. After that, you are on your way. Pax - C

Answer 2

I suggest you use a personal experience that's what i did when i first started writing, i didn't do it to get published i did it purely for fun but it still worked... if you do write however there are a few things to remember not just for writing novels for any type of writing
1 make a detailed paragraph by paragraph plan
2 number each paragraph in the margin
3 establish character description on separate paper

Answer 3

Personal experiences are the best place to search for ideas for a novel. Think about the noteworthy conflicts and events in your life. What drama have you observed. Use people that you know to help create interesting characters.

Answer 4

Look for some bazaar new article. There was a male nurse caring for a politician's husband. The husband died in the hospital. The nurse married the widow VERY shortly thereafter. Then she had a heart attack and died at the hospital with traces of a drug that paralyzes in her blood - the same drug her new husband said he would use IF he were going to kill someone. So the news would be a good place to start.

Answer 5

Think about things that are interesting or something you can think of alot of different angles on... sometimes its fun to see how you could fit two things together that you didnt think of as being related and writing about that... get a good outline together of what you want to talk about or write about... If you get stuck one place you can work on another part of the story and jump back and forth, because thoughts dont always come to us in order. Something really good might come to you when you are thinking about something else. Then when you feel like you have enough.. puzzle piece them together and work on the flow.

Answer 6

That's a good question. I think it can be different for every person. It just depends on how you write. I always have no idea where I'm going, I just start with a character. I just work the story around my characters.

Answer 7

they think and think and think!
and they observe things going on around them. And sometimes they just are doing the most random things when all of a sudden they have an idea. If this should happen to you, I would caution you to take a notebook with you wherever you go so that you don't let go of your idea.

Answer 8

a lot of writers just have ideas pop into their head at random times. dreams, sometimes too, so keep a notebook next to your bed. just write for hours, because at teh end of the day, you'll have at least one good sentence

Answer 9

Try your own mind for one, the news, reading other writers: watch life and study the make up of it all. Then write about it!

Answer 10

First read "On Writing" by Stephen King.

Afterwards you will have a great idea where to start.

FP