Step Away from the Bookshelf: Unveiling Hidden Story Ideas in Everyday Life
There are two kinds of people in this world. I am a planner. Classes, templates, tips, and tricks from established authors; such are my methods. My partner, on the other hand, abhors the classroom setting, templates are a prison, and tips are just loose change. While it can be frustrating for me to watch his process, he always works hard to create something amazing in the end and sometimes I find myself looking at things from a new perspective.
In the past, we’ve discussed the practice of reading in order to write, whether that’s reading terrible books or reading the best of the genre you write within. Today, I’m encouraging you to put down the books, and the notepads, and let’s go out and find story inspiration in the real world!
Actually, bring that notepad with you.
Let’s start with settings.
Do you remember the way the air smelled while waiting for the school bus early in the morning? It was something specific and some days when I come outside in the morning, I smell that same scent and it transports me back to 9th grade. Likewise, every place has a different vibe. Arguably, that vibe can change based on season and people and a myriad of other factors but let’s not jump down that rabbit-hole right now. As you go throughout your day, write down things you notice about the places you frequent. How does your commute feel? Your favorite coffee shop? What sticks out to you? What colors and scents come to mind? If there was a conversation happening here what would be said? Don’t worry about your notes making sense. Don’t be afraid to even get a little poetic.
Now, on to characters.
Sometimes characters are just real people with different names. I’m not saying the villain of your story needs to be an exact image of your parents or Karen at the office, but keep note of the mannerisms of the people around you. Not only how they carry themselves, but also how they bring up topics in conversation, make remarks about other people, or steal all the candy from the front desk. This reminds me of a great tip from Hannah Lee Kidder on YouTube in which she suggests temporarily changing the name of your character to someone you love or hate in order to have them act how you need them to act. For me, this means imagining my character is Adam Sandler when I need them to create childish drama. It’s just something about his voice.
Pay attention
So, really, it all comes down to keeping your eyes and ears open to what’s going on around you. Everything is inspiration. Even the most boring real-life setting can be the perfect starting place for an amazing plot, real-life heartbreak can become the next best redemption story, and some scribbled notes throughout your day can become your first manuscript.
No matter where you’re at in your story, we want to see it in the StoryForge library. We launch in January 2024, but in the meantime follow along with us via our newsletter.
