How does a writer come up with story ideas?
Whether you're suffering from writer's block, or you're a new writer desperately
looking for a story idea, we all need writing inspiration from time to time.
In this video I'm going to share my creative process, how I fill my creative well, and
my ultimate secret for generating story ideas.
What's up, guys?
My name is Michael La Ronn with Author Level Up, helping you write better and faster and
grow your influence with readers.
If you're new here, consider subscribing, and click the little bell to get helpful writing
videos every week.
Sometimes I struggle to find a story idea for a novel, but more often than not, I struggle
with story details.
Where should my character go, or what should the villain look like?
The tools I'm sharing in this video have helped me write over 30+ novels and dozens
of short stories without getting stuck for very long.
Follow these tips, and you'll never run out of ideas again.
When you think about the creativity problem, break it down into three components.
Think about about your mind like a plant.
A plant needs soil, water, and sunlight.
Just like a plant needs healthy soil, your creative voice, or muse, or subconscious—also
needs a healthy environment in which to grow.
This means creating a system where you foster your creativity, eliminate bad habits, and
setting aside time to think and reflect.
You cannot beat writer's block unless you get your mind correct.
That's tip #1.
A plant also needs water, but it's a delicate balance.
If you water it too much, you'll kill it, but if you water it too little, you'll starve
it.
A plant needs water on a regular schedule.
Your mind also needs inspiration and motivation on a regular schedule.
Reading on a regular basis is one surefire way to ensure a steady stream of inspiration
to your mind.
So is watching movies, television shows, and consuming any kind of media.
But even if you water a plant on schedule, it can still wilt, so you have to do other
things to keep it growing.
Your mind is the same way.
You need to have some tools in your arsenal for when writer's block strikes.
I keep a digital notebook in Evernote for things that inspire me.
I note the date and time, the item that inspired me, and when possible, I describe it in the
five senses and include photo, video, and ambient audio from the event.
For example, the day before I recorded this video, I was at a birthday party at a local
bar, and as I was entering, an African-American woman in a green floral dress was rushing
behind me, carrying a huge birthday cake.
I held the door open for her, and she said, "Thank you sir, for your awareness.
I appreciate it."
I hold the door open for people all the time, but not once in my life has anyone ever said,
"Thank you sir, for your awareness."
That's memorable.
I wrote that down, with one guiding question: How would I write her into a science fiction
or fantasy story?
What's her background?
What's she like?
I did a sketch of the woman, exploring what I thought her life would have been like, on
my phone in just a couple of minutes while I was at the birthday party.
The next time I need inspiration for a character, I might use that sketch.
I've done this for over a decade, and I have thousands and thousands of notes, little
bits and pieces I've picked up over the years.
Some of them end up in my novels, but most are there just as mental exercises for me.
If you'd like to see my sketchbook in action, I publish them and perform them on my podcast,
The Writer's Journey.
You can find links to the podcast in the video description.
Back to my plant analogy, a plant also needs sunlight, right?
For your mind, think about this as getting out of your normal routine every once in a
while.
When you're in public, when you're traveling, when you're experiencing something new for
the first time, observe with your senses, and learn how to sharpen them.
Be a student of people and places.
For example, my family went on a summer vacation to San Antonio, Texas.
We visited the famous San Antonio Riverwalk.
As we drove there, I imagined how I would write San Antonio into a story if I ever wanted
to.
We did the touristy thing and paid for a riverwalk boat tour.
Under the moonlit, shaded mall, we boarded a riverboat and sat back as the guide drifted
down the San Antonio River.
We heard the history of the city, learned of its rich heritage and the unique architecture
on the riverwalk district.
We floated by the most amazing buildings, each one lit up in its own unique way.
It's like all the buildings were in a competition for our attention.
Office buildings, bars, retail shops, all trying to stand out and be differentColored
waves of lights shimmered on the dark water.
Several times, as mist landed on my neck, I had to keep reminding myself that I was
in the desert.
After the tour, we went to a famous Mexican restaurant called Mi Tierra, which to this
date, is the biggest sensory overload I've ever experienced.
There were so many colors and lights that I couldn't concentrate on my food.
I'll never forget the endless tinfoil flags and colorful patio lights festooned over every
table.
And the bakery—it had the most amazing Mexican sweet breads—conchas, bear claws, dessert
empanadas, and more.
And there were hundreds of pinatas hanging over the bakery, twirling in the air-conditioning
as we ordered our treats.
When I was here, I kept telling myself, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
And so I observed, and paid attention.
And here I am, showing you camera footage and reciting my sketchbook note almost verbatim
for you guys just to prove my point.
That's how this works.
Live your life.
Pay attention.
Take notes.
And when you've been doing this as long as I have, when you're stuck in your next
work in progress, all that hard work will be there waiting for you.
So that's how you stay creative as a writer.
Be a plant.
Develop consistent practices that ensure you will be creative, capture every moment of
inspiration that strikes, and give yourself permission to do something different and unique.
Do that, and writer's block will be nearly non-existent for you.
That's it for this video.
If this is your first time watching, I'd love to have you subscribe.
Every week I publish videos just like this one with writing advice to help you write
better and grow your influence with readers.
I'll see you in the next video.
Thanks for watching.
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