Fiction Writing Ideas Under Your Own Nose

Where do you get your fiction writing ideas?

I get mine from all sorts of places. You can do the same, once you get in the habit of observing everything going on around you. Just try to do your observing when you're not occupied with a task that requires your full attention (like driving your kid to school).


Mining Close to Home

One of the best sources of ideas is close to home. Because, well... it's close. Convenience will always win the day when I'm busy. So I keep my eyes open when walking in the neighborhood, shopping for groceries, reading at the library.

Then, when an idea hits me (hopefully not hard enough to knock me over), I jot it down in my trusty notebook. (Yes, I practice what I preach and nearly always have a notebook handy for such fiction writing ideas.)

Usually, I type the note down in more permanent form soon, and elaborate on it a bit if I can. So I have more heft to play with.

Think right nearby isn't interesting to others?

Think again. I live in Minnesota right now, in the U.S. (not much longer, though!). To me, stories about Minnesota aren't that exciting. But what about the guy from Texas who's never seen snow? A story that includes a good old-fashioned Minnesota blizzard could be a treasure, to him.

Your reader lives in Zimbabwe? Even better! To such a reader, the entire United States is foreign and strange. So don't feel like there's nothing interesting about ideas that come from where you live.


I've Been Working On The Railroad

In a similar vein, what happens in your life can make great fodder for a story. If you herd goats for a living, I'd be fascinated to know what it's like. If you're an astronaut, write about what it takes to become one. If you are the engineer of a historic train, tell us what it's like to drive a piece of history. I guarantee you'll have an audience.

Using work, play and your own life experience is another great - easy - way to find fiction writing ideas. It's all right there in front of you. Maybe one of your coworkers is having an affair, and you are inspired to write about the other man or woman who doesn't know yet.

Just be very careful to change enough facts and details that no one knows who inspired your story. Or you'll not only bore your readers with a "true story", you could wind up in court.

It's always best to exaggerate and change the details of your ideas before they turn into fiction (otherwise it's called a biography...). If the main player in your life event is male, make your main character in your novel female. If he's young, make her old. Make enough changes so no one recognizes who the story sprang from.


Fair Game

I've never really told anyone I know that they could end up inspiring a character in one of my novels. But it happens. Poor unsuspecting sots!

I recently read a hilarious rewriting of "Miranda Rights" (what U.S. police read to suspects they arrest) in Writer's Digest Magazine. It warns the relatives and friends that anything they say may or may not make it into a story I'm writing. If they choose not to say anything, I may still make up things for them to say.

It goes on at some length warning friends and relatives to beware consorting with a writer. I may have to share it with a few of my friends - just to make them nervous about what I'm writing (or who I'm writing about).

Anyone is fair game for a creative writing idea. Someone might inspire a character. Someone else might inspire a story line. If it inspires you, use it!

And, as with where to look, you don't have to travel far afield to people-watch for fiction writing ideas.

Wherever you search, just make sure you take notes. And make enough changes to keep yourself out of being read your Miranda Rights for violating someone's life on paper.

Happy idea hunting!