Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [ideas]

This tag should be used for questions that deal with the management of ideas in the process of writing your work. Please note that idea-generation questions are off-topic here.

This tag should be used for questions that deal with the management of ideas in the of writing your work. For example you could ask about or to keep track of your ideas, how you could utilize random ideas in , how to publish your ideas, for example in a , or how to get the to transform your ideas into literary works.

114 questions
31
votes
11 answers

How do you track random thoughts and ideas?

If you're like me, you get story ideas anywhere and everywhere. If I'm at a computer, I'll write down the idea in onenote or outlook or scrivener (depending what's open). If I just have my phone, I'll send an email to myself, or use the voice…
Alan
  • 1,483
  • 14
  • 13
29
votes
9 answers

Is it smart to reserve one's best ideas or to utilise them early in their writing career?

At the very commencement of my writing "career" (I have virtually zero experience), I have an idea I would like to flesh out and turn into a full story. Being extremely proud of the concepts I have developed, I don't want to ruin the story by…
hamish1467
  • 391
  • 4
  • 8
27
votes
10 answers

If I wouldn't want to read the story, is writing it still a good idea?

I struggle with forming full-fledged ideas. I'll come up with a snippet of an idea, have a hard time fleshing the idea out, and then lose interest before the idea becomes an actual story concept. Sometimes, I'll begin forming an idea, and then…
Alexis Strain
  • 401
  • 4
  • 6
25
votes
15 answers

How to derive a storyline from a beginning?

I have an idea for the beginning of a story. I have the setting, the protagonist, and the events that set the story in motion, including the inciting incident and the first plot point. I have, in short, what might become act one. But I don't know…
user29420
24
votes
6 answers

Explaining made up card game

In my book I've made up a card game where I've already thought out the rules. Now I want some of the characters playing this game. My questions are: Should the reader know the rules? If I want to explain these rules, where is better to do so,…
programmer23
  • 383
  • 2
  • 6
22
votes
11 answers

How to derive a first sentence from a story?

There is much advice out there on "how to write a killer opening line". Usually these blog posts or how-to-write book chapters list examples of first sentences from recognized masterworks or group them into categories such as: A statement of…
user29032
18
votes
10 answers

Where is a good place to find writing prompts?

I love using writing prompts to come up with story ideas. I'm looking for good sites that have a lot of good writing prompts. One that updates fairly often would be best. :)
user563
  • 181
  • 5
15
votes
5 answers

What software/techniques do people use to gather ideas?

I'm planning to create a game. It won't be the first game I've created (or even released), but it will be my first game with any story to speak of. I'm still very much in the planning phase of the entire thing (even earlier than that perhaps), and I…
Shadow
  • 253
  • 3
  • 8
15
votes
5 answers

How do you come up with non-fiction story ideas?

My biggest problem is that I'm often at a dearth of ideas. I can target a publication or radio show or whatnot once I've got it, but I'm just not good at coming up with them. Tips?
Kyle
  • 488
  • 3
  • 8
14
votes
12 answers

What do you do if you enjoy writing, but have no ideas?

I've done some writing in the past - mostly short descriptive pieces, although I once wrote 9000+ words of a story idea I had. What I enjoy about it are the technical, intellectual, creative challenges involved in every level from the sentence to…
Jack M
  • 271
  • 1
  • 2
  • 7
14
votes
6 answers

Should I focus on ideas which the market enjoys, or ideas which I enjoy?

Two approaches to writing: Writing about ideas that are currently 'hot' in the market (a bit like when the Hunger Games came out, many authors quickly released books which incorporated the same set of ideas) Writing about ideas that you would enjoy…
Adi219
  • 1,641
  • 2
  • 14
  • 28
14
votes
2 answers

How can a specific (current) event be made timeless?

There are some movies and some stories that are enjoyable when they're released - but they don't stand up to the test of time very well. I've been wondering about what makes a story timeless, one that can be passed on from generation to generation…
Nathan Fischer
  • 2,717
  • 1
  • 18
  • 21
13
votes
9 answers

Source ideas for monsters in a fantasy novel?

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to go to get some ideas on different types of monsters that can be created for a fantasy novel? I'm not talking about different variations of zombies or vampires, but rather something more unique and…
Steven Drennon
  • 10,593
  • 3
  • 36
  • 75
12
votes
6 answers

How to write good erotic scene?

I am thinking of adding a sub-plot to my story where we have say, Adam and Eve. They do not quite like each other but one thing leads to another and they have sex. After that, Adam wonders if he should do something for Eve, influenced by the fact…
Pavel Janicek
  • 791
  • 5
  • 14
10
votes
10 answers

How do you come up with superpowers that haven't been overused?

It's hard to be really original during a time where you literally have TV shows and movies every few months, but some clichés seem to be recurring. For example, in a lot of superhero movies, you have: a badass character who can't die and has an…
Kiara Clément-Martin
  • 145
  • 1
  • 4
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8