Authors often get asked where they get their story ideas. It’s one of the most common questions my student writers wish they could ask their writing heroes. They think, “If I could just find a way to come up with the next best-selling story idea like [insert famous author], then I’ll make it as a writer!”
But they misunderstand one critical truth: the magic isn’t in the ideas. It’s in the execution.
We need the ideas to get started, but many writers don’t have a system for capturing the ideas around them daily, and they don’t develop ideas consistently in practice.
We all have files full of unfinished projects and story ideas spread across notebooks and online platforms. Why do ideas lose their luster the moment we start writing them?
The Problem with Chasing Story Ideas
I had a student who was a few days away from his deadline for his final fiction project and he came to see me.
“I found a better idea and want to change my project,” he said.
“How much have you written on this new idea?” I asked.
“Well, you see, it’s about this guy …”
I interrupted him. “No, how much have you written on it. How many words?”
He shifted uncomfortably. “None, yet.”
I shook my head. “Write it down in a sentence in your journal, and finish the original project first.”
He sputtered a bit about how great this new story idea was compared to the thousands of words he’d written on his current project.
I had to give him the talk I give many students and myself when we feel stuck and get caught up chasing a new shiny idea instead of getting in the chair and grinding out the work.
“Ideas are nothing until you execute them. Your desire to chase something else is resistance. You are close to finishing the longest piece of fiction you’ve ever written. Finish it.
“The idea will still be there. You’re afraid the current work won’t be as good as it seemed in your head, when it was a shiny new idea like the one you’re courting now.
“But the magic isn’t in the idea. It’s in the way you execute it, which means you need a first draft. Then we’ll revise it into the work you want it to be.”
It wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear, but he ultimately finished the original project.
A System for Managing Story Ideas
A system can minimize shiny-new-idea syndrome, because you will have a plan for what to do when a new idea appears in the midst of your current project.
I always have a notebook with me, but sometimes I capture story ideas online. I used to bookmark interesting articles, until I had so many stored that I never looked at them. Since then, I’ve transitioned online links to Evernote with tags to easily search my ideas.
I know writers who love to use Pinterest to keep character boards, settings, and history research in a visually organized way. Others love spreadsheets. Some keep idea boards in their writing spaces.
Find the method that you are most likely to use, and it will save you time as you collect and use your ideas. Then, when you are in the middle of trying to finish a project, you know exactly where to put that idea that keeps interrupting your work.
Revisiting Notebooks for Idea-Mining
Whether you keep your ideas on paper or online, build time into your writing year to revisit your stash.
I used to dump all my notebooks in a jumble in a big bin when they were finished. Now, I put dates on the bindings and keep them in two boxes in my huge bin. Each summer, I make time to scan through the notebooks in one of the boxes, pulling one or two notebooks that have especially promising ideas to develop. Sometimes I just read through them and put them all back.
Online, I tag story ideas in Evernote by genre or fiction element (character, setting, conflict, interesting problem, etc.). When I’m looking for a fresh story idea, I can open Evernote and scan through a tag’s contents quickly.
The Most Important Step
As I shared with my student who was chasing a new idea, the most important thing to do is simply pick an idea and follow it through to completion, one idea at a time, over and over again. A system can minimize those distractions, because you can tell your inner squirrel that the idea is safely lodged in your notebook and will be revisited when it’s time.
Of course there may be times when abandoning a project is necessary, but don’t let your reason be “Oooo, look at this shiny new idea!”
Where do you like to record your story ideas? Share in the comments.
PRACTICE
Take fifteen minutes to write a scene where a character chases an idea. Do they find the success they're searching for? Or is this a cautionary tale of how to get waylaid by distractions?
When you're done, share your story in the comments below, and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers.
It’s funny as long as I’ve been a writer or interested in writing idea’s often just jump out at me, or I find myself asking “what if”. I remember the first story I ever wrote was when I was a teen and looked out my bedroom window. On the street was a car, which looked as if it had been there a while. I wondered what if that car belonged to someone famous who was escaping from something… Where was this person and why leave the car? Why not break into it trash it and dump it somewhere. What if this was just one of many stops along somewhere else and this is where they left the car to change cars. What clues were in this car that would lead to the owner or passenger.
Then the more I wondered the more I realized I’d be late for school and if it was there when I got home, I was going to go check it out.”
The more I grew to writing the more I saw possible story ideas everywhere and began the scrap paper collection. Now they are in various journals and note books because I thought the notebook covers were ‘the cutest thing” and just had to have it… Now I have as many journals which are only half written in because there was that new and shiny notebook I just had to have. Now I am putting the ones I really like in one note. I think that’s the coolest thing… Because there are tabs and a place where you can add a page. And title that page.
Agreed, Deb– story ideas are everywhere! And I think the “what if” question is key. Thanks for sharing how you come up with ideas!
cant wait to read your material Debra!
I am writing an essay now and I have no ideas. But after reading this post, I understand that there are a lot of ideas for writing. Thank you Sue for this helpful article. good job!
Thanks for stopping by to read and comment.
Ahh, so it’s persistence in working that makes some works special… Thanks for the advice! I think this might as well apply to other things too, such as drawing, video editing, programming, as well as any other works that require the development of ideas.
Bisma,
You are right– persistence is key in all of those areas. Thanks for stopping by to read and comment!
I was checking my e-mail when I came across this post from The write Practice. I clicked it open to read about ‘Story Ideas: How to Beat Shiny-New-Idea Syndrome and Actually Finish Your Projects’. I didn’t want to get caught up in another distraction to keep me from working on my book, (I’m only supposed to check my emails every other day) however when I come across a writing prompt that piques my interest I find my fingers on the key board doing this. Oh well, at least now I have a name for it, “Shiny new Idea Syndrome’.
I’m sorry we distracted you, but happy you found the article helpful. Good luck as you continue to write!
You’re welcome! Good luck!
“Ideas are like babies– easier to conceive than to deliver.”
HA! Love this, Ken!
Well.. it seams that I read this a day to late.
I’m taking a fiction class and have to write a short story for it. I got a good 2,000 words on my story and then got a new idea.. and wrote the new idea instead of finishing the old one. I guess instead of leaving the old one unfinished I’ll finish it.
Thanks for the another great post!
Paige,
We all do it from time to time. On the bright side, if you finish both stories, you’ll have two done!
Toyo Yamaguchi was very proud of his accomplishment. He could, with effort, float a few inches off the tatami mat. He rushed to show his master what he had accomplished.
“Master!” he exclaimed look what I have discovered!
Yamaguchi struggled in might contemplation to raise himself from the tatami. And seconds later, he succeeded.
“I see.” replied the Master, irritated by the interruption.
“Come back when you have learned to sit still.”
Puzzled, Yamaguchi asked for an explanation.
“It is very natural for your untamed spirit to fight the reins of containment.” came the response.
“Now go back and begin again to sit still. That is your only requirement today.”
The Master thought to himself as Yamaguchi departed, “So close to success and yet so far from it as well. The stronger the temptation to divert, the closer one is to the goal.”
Thank you so much for this article – my problem with the delivery of my ideas (love the comment about ideas being easier to conceive than deliver, like babies) is that I write down the whole plot and all the characters and details I have in my head about a story. It’s really satisfying to just write everything down – but once I’ve gotten everything out, I lose inspiration. I suppose I feel like I’ve already written the story – it could also be fear of failure, because the next step is to actually write the story once I’ve planned it (I have this problem with academic essays and assignments). I have three current story ideas, and I’ve written my thoughts about all of them – but I now lack motivation for one of them. I think forcing myself to write the main scenes I can see in my head will help to kickstart that motivation, or writing down scenes before I write plot points.
I definitely can’t just write down the plot and move on, like I do currently, because then I would never write anything! Thank you for the perfect article that came at the perfect time.