The Writing Process: Where to get ideas?

As an author, I'm often asked where I get my ideas from. Quite honestly. the source of the majority of my works happens to be my dreams. I have been known to dream almost an entire book, sometimes over the course of one or many dreams. I'm careful to write them down when I have them, and they help me to later come up with stories around them. I'm lucky to both remember my dreams and dream vividly, and if you have a talent like that--use it!

But where else can people get story ideas from? I tell you all, read books, watch movies, and think and daydream about them afterwards. Ever get frustrated out how a book or a story ended? Why not think of how you would written a similar circumstance differently in a completely original work geared towards your own writing style, ideas, and experiences?

I have met writers who are afraid to read books; there's the concern that they will affect their writing process so much that they will accidentally copy or plagiarize someone else's material. Unless you have no control over your own work and are being possessed by the spirit of a fictional character from that work or something utterly exotic like that (ooh, plot idea!!), there's no reason to worry about this. You can get inspiration for themes in stories and still be able to write your own work.

Also, here's another thing: personal experience. It's often said you should write about what you know. Why not take an event that inspired you and rework it into a plot with its own characters and theme? And if you enjoy writing speculative fiction as I do, imagine the same set of circumstances only with magic, advanced technology, aliens, supernatural creatures...let your imagination run wild!

And that's really the thing: imagination. You have to embrace it, daydream, run wild with it. Spend time by yourself in order to think. Take long walks and dig into your creative process. You'll be glad you did!



Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com

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