A few years ago when I set out on my path to become a writer, I remember being filled with dread that I only had one good idea in me. I had been trying to write the same book for about 7 years and had not really ever tried to outline or spark another idea.
Luckily around that same time, I drove 4 hours to attend a workshop by Kelly Sue DeConnick, one of my favorite comic writers. She at one point said something to the effect of “Ideas are the easy part” and it struck a cord with me because it is still something I remember to this day.
At the time, I was not sure that I believed her. It took me a while to realize part of the reason why I didn’t have more ideas, was that I had not put the work in. I had not devoted chunks of time to brainstorming, free writing, or just reading new things.
Like I’ve said before, you will meet people that just have seem to ideas constantly bestowed to them by the heavens. You can spend your time envying their blessed gift, or you can put the work in to get ideas of your own.
Now, onto ways to help you spark those ideas, while you’re starting to get your writing routine established and need some ideas to get you off the ground.
Writing Prompts
There are tons of sites all over the web devoted to writing prompts. Some are just one word, some are a concept, a snippet of dialogue, either way, they are a way to get you writing. Find which kind of prompt works best for you. I don’t really write well with a single word prompt, but things like image prompts or quotes tend to really inspire me. Here are a couple of my favorite prompt sites:
Sing in me, Muse Prompt Community on Live Journal
http://sunday-reveries.livejournal.com/
Though there aren’t any new prompts, this community has a great archive of photo and quote prompts. I usually look through them until something catches my eye.
Writing Prompts that don’t suck
http://awesomewritingprompts.tumblr.com/
Tumblr has several prompt sites, so feel free to use your google fu to find others. I like this one because most of the prompts are fairly practical and quick to spark ideas.
Just put “Writing Prompts” in the search bar and you will get a bunch of prompts! You can also search through them to find sites that provide prompts that speak to you.
Read. Read a lot.
If you’re anything like me, you may always feel like you don’t have enough time to read. It’s worth making time for. I read on my Kindle for a few minutes at my allergy shot appointment each week. I read instead of playing a few more minutes of Candy Crush. I try to always keep a book in my car, just in case.
I also subscribe to Audible, and once a month I use my credit to get an audio book. I love the ease of an audio book and I usually listen at night as I’m winding down for bed. Audio books are a great way to hear a story while you do other things.
Audio books are not a complete substitute for reading old school style. Reading either a real book or an ebook, let’s you see grammar and paragraph structure, something that is also important to writing.
So do both. Absorb what you can. Enjoy the process of diving into a story. Note what you like. Note what you don’t.
If all else fails, grab a friend
I usually do this when I’m stuck on an idea. I may have a few kernels or a general feeling of where I want to go with the idea, but I just can’t get it out.
Sometimes nothing is better than just throwing it out there and talking through it. Do it with someone you trust, of course. I tend to grab either my best friend who is also the creative sort, or my husband. My hubby isn’t so much the creative sort, but he’ll let me talk myself out when I’m stuck, and generally that’s all I really need, a good sounding board.
I also do virtual sprints with people I know, where we tag each other via email, and report what we’ve done. Motivation is one way you can help get the ideas to flow. If you know you’ve 30 minutes to write and you have to report back at the end of the sprint, you’re more likely to sit down and do your work.
If you ever want to sprint with me, feel free to send me a shout out on twitter @xvalkyrieofodin. It’s always the more the merrier on sprinting for me.
Keep writing!
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely times I sit at my desk and just blankly stare at my screen while I try to work through an idea. I also do my best to give up, even if I switch projects for a bit and come back to something. What are some of the ways you find that creative spark for new ideas? Share with me in the comments.
The Taming of the Muse 
These are exactly the things that I do. I used to believe that I didn’t have time to read or write but I have made time. I too subscribe to Audible and listen to a book while I’m driving to and from work, while I’m ironing and when I’m preparing dinner and trying to block out the sounds of the kids arguing.
I also love Pinterest for writing prompts. I choose one in the morning and write it in my lunch hour. Since I’m relatively new to this writing business, I tend to post the results of my writing prompt session is on Wattpad for comments or critique. To be honest, this isn’t that successful as I haven’t put enough effort into building a following but I’ll get around to that one day.
I’m plucking up the courage to join writing.com to get some constructive feedback. That’s a bit of a scary step though. I’ll procrastinate a bit longer on that one I think!
That’s awesome that you’re making time! I think a lot of people don’t realize, but it’s really the first step. I’ve only used writing.com a couple of times for feedback and I’ve had a friend who did. She really liked the feedback she got there, but they can be a little intense. Intense can be good though so you should totally check it out when you feel ready. 🙂
I’ve also found writing groups in my area and they are nice because people tend to be slightly softer with your feelings, while still giving good feedback.