Looking through my email this morning, I found a question that I find very confusing. It was, “How do I know what to write?” It could be expressed in many ways; i.e., “How do I start a story?” “What’s a good way to start a story?” and so on. They all seem to be about “writer’s block.” Maybe all those questions should be, “How do I know what to write about?” Sometimes it’s as simple as, “I want to write something people will enjoy.” It might be as complex as a person caught up in a war. Sometimes it’s as simple as I can’t think of a story. How do I solve writer’s block?
You can find story idea generators online. If you Google “story ideas generator,” you will be rewarded with lists ranging from kindergarten to genre-based story generators. There are even “opening lines” lines generators. If you spend a few minutes with some of the “story ideas generators,” odds are you will find something you want to write about.
Does that sound like cheating? It’s not! It’s getting your brain thinking in ways everyone is familiar with… Daydreaming! If you don’t like the idea of using one of the story generators, wing it. What do I mean? Start with something mundane as you bought a picture and now need to hang it. You head to the hardware store and find many ways to hang a picture. They range from hammering a nail into the wall to some of the new ideas guaranteed never to leave a mark on the wall. Another person is looking in the same aisle. Here is where you start your story. Are they young or old? Are they male or female? Are they knowledgeable about hanging pictures? What are they trying to hang? Pretty soon, you’ll find yourself shaping a compelling character. You will also find the starting of an idea forming for a story.
Play with the idea I have given you here. It’s a holiday, Labor Day, so that’s enough for today. Next time we will explore the picture-hanging aisle and hardware store.
