If there is one question I hear more than any other it's "where do you get your ideas from?" Stephen King answers this question with "there's a little store I go to that sells them", or words to that effect. Idea formation appears to be the hardest part of writing, but in actual fact, it is one of the simplest. In this chapter, we're going to look at some quick ways to get those creative juices flowing, then we'll use the ideas you come up with to start our story.
The Monster in the Room
There's a slabbering monster out there with vicious teeth, eyes like the abyss, and claws built for slicing flesh. We'll call this monster "the blank page". It is a terrifying sight for any writer. The enemy which must be defeated. But all too often it's something we don't want to face. We dare not. The blank page holds fear, it holds the promise of failure, a haunting image of what to write which will never leave you alone!
Believe it or not, most of the people who tell you they are writers either never, or very rarely, get past this horrid thing. But trust me when I say, the only way to slay a monster, to pierce the heart of even the most abhorrent demon, is to face it head on. You must be bold. Don't worry about failure. Don't worry about whether your story is going to be any good or not. Just stare that twisted miscreation in the eye and plunge your pen onto the paper (or fingers to the keyboard!). Be bold. You don't need to release everything you write, just get used to putting words down on the page. It doesn't need to be a masterpiece, first drafts rarely are. Only by taking action can you banish this beast to where it belongs, the past.
Waiting for the Muse
If there is one mistake I want all writers to avoid, it's waiting for a muse. In Greek mythology, the muses were goddesses who would bestow inspiration upon artists. Contemporary writers still talk about muses to this day - that which motivates them to write. That which seems to encourage the beginning of an idea. But relying on a muse is like waiting for a shooting star. You might see one, but you might also spend all night staring at the blank sky with nothing to show for it.
I am not saying that having a muse is a bad thing, or indeed that they don't exist. They most certainly do. But waiting for inspiration to strike is a terrible waste of your time. While you've been waiting for the perfect story or idea to form in your mind, you could have actually been writing. And that's what writers are supposed to do.
If there's one thing I hope you take away from this book, it is that you don't wait for inspiration. You make inspiration. This seems counter intuitive because inspiration seems such a spontaneous, dare I say, magical thing. But it isn't. Think of inspiration more as a tree growing in your garden. In order for the tree to grow strong, you must provide it with the right environment. The right care. In this way, inspiration is the same. The seed of inspiration is already in your mind, you were born with it. All you need to do is water and feed it, to give it the correct environment in which to grow.
That is what idea formation is all about.
Techniques for Creating an Idea
I'm going to outline several techniques for coming up with an idea, with a particular focus on what I call the "Bradbury Technique". Remember, every writer finds different ways to write and work, so try all of these techniques to see which one you are most comfortable with. RIght now, all we're doing is finding you an idea for your story. Once you choose an approach, it doesn't mean you're stuck with that approach for all time. Indeed, I use many different approaches. Variety is the spice of life or the poison of stagnant thought.
The Bradbury Technique
I call this the Bradbury Technique because I first read about it from the wonderful dark fantasy and science fiction writer, Ray Bradbury. This is a slightly tweaked version of his approach. The reason I am focussing particularly on this approach is that it works for everyone. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a complete beginner.
Sit in your writing bubble. Open the blank page or laptop.
We're going to play a game of word association. This is a technique in psychology which draws out words, themes, and ideas from the subconscious parts of the mind. The same dark recess where most of your ideas come from. This technique just opens the door enough to let something slither out onto your page. That's what Bradbury was all about, finding a kernel of an idea and then running off with it to make something wonderful.
I want you to write down one word. That's all. One word. The very first word that pops into your mind. As soon as you've done this, write down the next word that you think of. Then a third. I want you to do this until you have at least a few sentences worth of words, if not an entire paragraph.
Look at those words. Where did they come from? They seem to be random. It's not a cohesive idea, but the words did come. You didn't consciously make them. They were already there. You just had to open the door. Now, I'm going to show you an example of how you use these words to create an idea. Here are my word association words for today:
Staircase black car night roof rain hand eyes green gun jammed scream letter dynamite inheritance blade storm hurt sunrise cold gloves run earth ground...
I could go on and on. These were genuinely the words that jumped into my head without thinking about them. Now, it should be said that I have noticed after using this technique several times that my brain has learned to produce something more cohesive, but even still, a lot of that looks quite random. As you try this technique over and over, you'll find too that eventually, your words seem to speak stories to you more clearly.
The next step is to make a sketch from these words. A visual scene which incoporates some of the words you've come up with. You don't have to use them all, just enough until you have something. It doesn't need to be the beginning of the story, the middle, or the end. It may be a complete synopsis, but more likely it will be a fragment of a story. But from tiny acorns, mighty oak trees grow.
Let's look at my words and make a story from them. So, "staircase", "black", "car", "night", "roof", "rain", "hand", "eyes". These words conjure up an image in my mind. Of standing on a staircase in an old house looking out into the black night. Below, a car skids on the road outside. The rain lashes down on the car, but there's someone on top of it, holding on for dear life. No... They aren't holding on for dear life, the figure on the roof is trying to get inside the car as it moves. Finally, the car skids again in the rain and comes to a halt. I see the figure on the roof reaching inside through the driver's window. It kills the driver. Then, through the rain, it looks up towards my window where I stand. All I can see are its deep piercing eyes. Eyes which have a strange green glow to them. Whatever it is, it isn't human.
So, there you have it, not a full story so to speak, but a fragment. Now, I've had a lot of practice at this. Your first few attempts will probably be even more fragmented. But you will find something. Let's say all you have from your word association is someone standing by a grave. Well, that is your beginning. That is the seed you have planted. In the following chapter, we will make that idea grow. It will take shape and you will craft it into a horror story of your own.
But before we do this, let's take a look at a few other techniques you can try when coming up with a story idea.
Writing Prompts
You'll find the internet littered with writing prompts. I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of them, but they can be helpful if you find the Bradbury Technique doesn't work as well for you. Writing prompts are basically little ideas that other people suggest for writers to use. You'll find them on writing subreddits and other webpages. Just Google "horror writing prompts" and you'll find thousands of them. What I will say for writing prompts is that they are a sure thing. You start off with the idea in hand and build a story around it. The more you take part in this process, the more you train your subconscious to produce story ideas, and your conscious mind to make alterations along the way. But I would strongly urge those using writing prompts that once you are comfortable with the process, to return to the Bradbuy Technique with your imagination now primed and ready. Then you will be able to develop ideas of your own.
Fiction Jumping
Have you ever read a story or watched a film and thought: "I wish the story had went left instead of right". This is what I call fiction jumping. A little game one can play with other people's worlds and ideas, taking them in new directions. In many cases, this is actually the real inspiration behind a great many works. For example, Stephen King asked himself "what would happen if Dracula came to a small American town?" The resulting novel, Salem's Lot, was one of his best. Of course, it wasn't actually Dracula, but an aristocratic vampire nonetheless called Mr Barlow. But the idea was the same. For others, it might be actual full fan fiction, taking an established character and putting them into a new adventure. Or choosing for a character to make a completely different decision than they did in an established work. The point is, fiction jumping is a fun way to kick start your mind into thinking like a story machine. I personally wrote a lot of fan fiction in the past and found it a great way to learn how to piece together a story.
Co-Write
By working with another writer you take off some of the pressure when coming up with an idea for your story. Maybe you have a friend who has an idea but doesn't want to write the entire thing, or maybe you know someone who wants to fully collaborate on the text. If not, take to social media and forums to find someone. Collaboration can be fun, and it can also expose you to new ways of doing things. More importantly, if you find writing on your own daunting, it makes the process a more social one.
What's Important
Regardless of the approach you take, what's important is opening that door into your subconscious and getting you writing. Once you have an idea we can move onto the next stage which is writing the opening for your terrifying tale.
Got your idea? Remember, it can even just be a single image or fragment. Once you have it, let's go ahead and defeat the monster on the blank page.