How to generate new story ideas #amwriting

If you need some fresh writerly inspiration, here is a list of things you can do to help generate new story ideas and rework old ones.

Reading

It’s the most obvious one, and it’s still the best. Reading can provide a bounty of ideas to use in your own work (..but maybe not plagiarise!)

It’s a great way to pick up style tips too!

Walking

Walking releases your mind to wonder off in the same way that your body does.

It doesn’t matter whether the route is new or familiar, either will help to set your mind free to explore new concepts in an unstructured way.

Loading up with a few key ideas just before you leave can inspire more detailed outlines for anything from a scene to a book.

Tip: Always take your smart phone / pad with you so you can jot any notes down as you go.

Watch a movie or TV

This may sound like the worst thing a writer can do, but shows and movies can really generate a plethora of lovely new ideas.

Music

Music can inspire us in so many different ways.

A strong beat can really kick-off an action scene.

A new track can generate an entire story skeleton.

And of course, music can greatly influence the mood of our writing if we listen to it while we write.

Articles and news

Newspapers and articles can spark little gems that often turn into a juicy story concept.

They can also help us to research a specific scene.

People

People are the ultimate story inspiration.

I’m not suggesting you take you’re best friend’s relationship disaster and use it for book fodder!

But people are inspiring, and it can often happen in subtle or subconscious ways.

Be adventurous and do something new

Taking a holiday somewhere new, joining a club, and generally embracing new experiences are all awesome for discovering new perspectives.

Our minds and our thoughts are only as good as the information we put into them, and opening ourselves to new experiences is a great way to generate surprising and intriguing ideas.