5 tips for generating new story ideas!
A few months ago, I shared a post for those of you (myself included) effected by shiny new idea syndrome. In short, all the wonderful new character and plot ideas that threaten to throw your current work-in-progress off the cliff!
There, I mapped out what to do when those ideas appear and more importantly, how to store them in way that keeps your story on track! If you missed it, read it here.
Today, I want to focus on those of you who are dealing with the opposite problem:
No New Idea Syndrome
In the same way some writers find it hard not to get distracted by ideas that keep on coming, there are others who wish they had that issue. Others for whom a great idea is like the aurora borealis—beautiful when it shows up, but hardly visible for the rest of the year.
Of course, if best-selling ideas come to you once a year, then perhaps that’s a great thing! It at least gives you time to really get clear on the idea and WRITE it.
For the rest of us whose ideas are few and far in between, here are some fun suggestions for coming up with new ones!
There are many ways to find story ideas such as via writing prompts, people watching, eavesdropping, etc. For many writers, these are sure-fire ways to find inspiration for a new story, but others might find it hard to connect with these methods in a way that actually leads to something worth fleshing out.
If you’re looking for some fresh + fun ways to get your story started, here are 5 of my favorites!
1. Story mash-up
I love this method because it’s fun and super easy! Ok, so maybe it’s not that easy…
Anyhoo, to create a story mash-up, take two of your favorite books, movies, or tv shows, then mash the plots together. Simple, right! You can also use a book and a movie, or a movie and a tv show, etc.
Here’s how to do it:
Define specific details or aspects of the character and plot from each story that you like
Mix and mash up the different elements to see what piques your interest most
Example:
Pretty Woman
Wealthy man falls for a prostitute hired to accompany him for (a week?)
A prostitute teaches a wealthy man that life is about more than mergers and acquisitions
Romeo and Juliet
A man and woman from rival families fall in love
A man and woman choose to give up everything—including their lives—to be together
The Mash-up: Pretty Juliet 😆
A rich businessman meets and falls for a prostitute, but chaos ensues when he learns she’s the estranged daughter of his biggest rival.
Mashing up the main characters + plots points a useful option, but don’t stop there. Take a look at the supporting characters and subplots as well. Though they might have a minor role in your chosen film or book, they might prove to be a great starting point for the main elements of your story.
2. Role Reversals
This idea generator is good because it challenges you to confront your own views about the roles of men and women in the world.
For instance, how many “billionaire romances” have you seen where the woman isn’t some poor thing in need of saving? How many “I love the bad boy” books have you read as opposed to “In love with a bad girl”?
Here’s how to do it:
Take the typical gender tropes and roles of your chosen genre and flip them! Write a story with:
a guy whose car breaks down and ends up getting it fixed by a female mechanic!
a female bodyguard that’s hired to protect a man!
A nice guy who falls for a bad girl
3. Use YOUR misbelief
In short, a character’s misbelief is a lie they believe about themselves or the world. This lie will have to be overcome [or not, if it’s a negative arc] in order to reach “the end” of the story. Think about the all the bad things you believe, or have believed about yourself and create a character! It helps to think of the negative things you tell yourself when you want to try something new…like write as story, lol. Things like:
I’ll never be a good writer
My teeth aren’t straight enough to share a real smile
I don’t know enough to teach this class
I don’t look good enough to date that person
Consider how you developed these misbeliefs and the impact they’ve had on your life then create a character who either overcomes or succumbs to them.
4. Make everything a what if…
This one is super fun. As you read the news, watch tv, or even if just having a conversation with a friend, let your mind wonder (not too long) about the “what ifs” and consider new scenarios for whatever is happening. Example:
What if she tries to break up with her boyfriend and he posts photos of her on the net?
What if he looked through the security footage at work and saw someone presumed dead?
What if while on a new job, the security repair man found footage of his significant other?
5. Genre flip
This is a bit similar to number #2 except the reversal comes in the form of the setting. This works best for the sci-fi/fantasy genre, but it can work for others, too. It involves taking major settings you normally find in one genre and placing it in another; or taking certain character types and tropes that you find within a specific genre and placing them in another.
For example:
Billionaire boss in a western
A detective novel set on a college campus
Fairies in a non-magical/fantasy world
Bonus: Flip the script!
This again has to do with the many tropes we come across in both literature and film. Some of them are so popular that they’ve become obligatory within their genre.
For example:
The dumb/jerk jock
The ugly best friend
The happily ever after expected in romance
The bad boy who changes because a girl loved him so much
Challenge these tropes by going against the norm! Write a romance in which the couple doesn’t wind up together, yet still leaves the reader wholly satisfied! Switch the roles of the usual protagonist with that of their ally. Got hard-nosed lead detective in your Mystery/Thriller? Flip that and make your detective a happy one (gasp) with a hard-nosed partner that always tries to make them take things more seriously!
Coming up with fresh story ideas can definitely be like pulling teeth, especially since the ideas have to be good enough to span the length of novel, while also engaging enough to keep the reader from falling asleep.
Luckily, you’ve just learned 5 new ways to generate impactful story ideas.
Did reading this get your creative juices flowing? Download the Story Idea Database to help you keep track of all your new ideas + stay focused on your current ones!