Comments on: Where is fancy bred? http://jordanmccollum.com/2009/07/where-do-you-get-your-story-ideas/ mysteries to fall in love with, romance to keep you in suspense Sat, 19 May 2012 20:11:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Carol/Careann http://jordanmccollum.com/2009/07/where-do-you-get-your-story-ideas/#comment-120 Carol/Careann Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:27:29 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=618#comment-120 My ideas always seem to start with a mental snapshot. I see a character in a static pose involved in something intriguing. I can't get the picture out of my mind and start asking the W questions: Who is this? What is s/he doing? When is it happening? Why is s/he doing it? Where is this taking place? And of course then comes the big "What If" that eventually moves the action along into a plot. My ideas always seem to start with a mental snapshot. I see a character in a static pose involved in something intriguing. I can’t get the picture out of my mind and start asking the W questions: Who is this? What is s/he doing? When is it happening? Why is s/he doing it? Where is this taking place? And of course then comes the big “What If” that eventually moves the action along into a plot.

]]> By: Michelle http://jordanmccollum.com/2009/07/where-do-you-get-your-story-ideas/#comment-119 Michelle Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:42:49 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=618#comment-119 I get my ideas from playing "what if?" but not just on a random intermittent level. I play "what if?" all day long. I will see something and start thinking "what if that person did this instead of. . . " or see someone that strikes my fancy and want something like that in my story so I start thinking about that character's life or what thier story is. I dont remember my dreams most of the time, but I recieve inspiration in the shower often. LOL I think alot of it is just being open to everything all the time, letting your creative brain work all day. My characters "play" in my head all the time and sometimes I just write the scenes in my head down on paper and then I have tons of ideas for my books. I played what if with a friend and outlined an entire story based on what we talked about. Michelle I get my ideas from playing “what if?” but not just on a random intermittent level. I play “what if?” all day long. I will see something and start thinking “what if that person did this instead of. . . ” or see someone that strikes my fancy and want something like that in my story so I start thinking about that character’s life or what thier story is. I dont remember my dreams most of the time, but I recieve inspiration in the shower often. LOL

I think alot of it is just being open to everything all the time, letting your creative brain work all day. My characters “play” in my head all the time and sometimes I just write the scenes in my head down on paper and then I have tons of ideas for my books. I played what if with a friend and outlined an entire story based on what we talked about.

Michelle

]]> By: Iapetus999 http://jordanmccollum.com/2009/07/where-do-you-get-your-story-ideas/#comment-118 Iapetus999 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:13:13 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=618#comment-118 I did have one novel come from a dream. Just remembered it. I wrote down the dream, then wrote the novel. Unfortunately the end result wasn't that great, so I've never really polished it up. It was about a very angry woman, and man who soothes her temper, and in the end there's some kind of catharsis where she comes to terms with herself. But this dream wasn't an idea, it was a complete story. There's fighting and swords and a lot of fantasy elements, sort of like a female Conan or something. Someday I'll tackle it. or grab some elements from it, because I really like the whole arc, it's just the details that are wanting. I did have one novel come from a dream. Just remembered it. I wrote down the dream, then wrote the novel.
Unfortunately the end result wasn’t that great, so I’ve never really polished it up.
It was about a very angry woman, and man who soothes her temper, and in the end there’s some kind of catharsis where she comes to terms with herself. But this dream wasn’t an idea, it was a complete story. There’s fighting and swords and a lot of fantasy elements, sort of like a female Conan or something.
Someday I’ll tackle it. or grab some elements from it, because I really like the whole arc, it’s just the details that are wanting.

]]> By: Jordan http://jordanmccollum.com/2009/07/where-do-you-get-your-story-ideas/#comment-117 Jordan Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:16:47 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=618#comment-117 For most individual scenes, the ideas come as I'm plotting (or usually off doing something completely unrelated). But my overall story inspirations come from dreams with surprising frequency. For most individual scenes, the ideas come as I’m plotting (or usually off doing something completely unrelated). But my overall story inspirations come from dreams with surprising frequency.

]]> By: Iapetus999 http://jordanmccollum.com/2009/07/where-do-you-get-your-story-ideas/#comment-116 Iapetus999 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:57:04 +0000 http://jordanmccollum.com/?p=618#comment-116 I have no idea where my ideas come from. Today, I needed to write an awkward scene at a summer camp...so my characters wound up skinny dipping. I've never been skinny dipping, so I have no idea where this came from. Don't even know if the scene works or not, but it definitely leaves a lasting impression on them. I have no idea where my ideas come from.
Today, I needed to write an awkward scene at a summer camp…so my characters wound up skinny dipping.
I’ve never been skinny dipping, so I have no idea where this came from. Don’t even know if the scene works or not, but it definitely leaves a lasting impression on them.

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