There I was. At 3:00 AM, sleeping like a baby. I woke up. A brand new character was bouncing around in my head, begging me to write her down. I was so tired. SO tired, so I did the unthinkable. I went back to sleep.
Have you ever had that happen? Gotten a new shiny idea in the middle of the night, and before you wrote it down you just rolled over and went back to sleep? I have. It's a good thing I remembered it this morning. I'm lucky. Sometimes I forget and don't write my ideas down and can't remember for the life of my what it was.
Where do you get your ideas from? Honestly, I've thought about this question when people ask me, and usually I have the stupidest answers.
In the middle of the night.
Driving.
Waiting to pick up my son in front of his school.
In the shower.
I've gotten my ideas all over the place. Sometimes a news story gets my attention. Sometimes a conversation. I have one WIP that I haven't written yet, but have an outline for, and I got that idea from a significant event in history. One that I know hasn't been written about yet. I'm scared of that project because it's way outside of what I write. I write YA fantasy/paranormal. This WIP will be YA historical. That's why I'm putting it off for a while. It's so intimidating! But, I'm in love with the idea, and when the time it right I'll write it.
How do you choose what to work on? Have you ever had an idea that freaked you out, since it wasn't in your usual genre?
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15 comments:
Yes. I have gotten ideas in the middle of the night and am stupid enough to roll over and go back to sleep. Then I am incredibly angry with myself the following morning.
I also get ideas in the shower. I used to have to scream to my significant other to come and take down dictation but then I wised up and bought myself a set of bathtub marker. Best purchase ever. Even if my grout now has a blue tinge to it...
I once had an idea for a chick lit novel that freaked me out because I don't much like that genre. But I gave in and wrote it and it's turned out to be one of my favorite projects.
I keep track of new ideas, but I'm to the point where I only work on what is marketable.
Ideas have come to me in all those situations. Sleeping (or rather going to sleep because once I'm asleep, I'm out for the night), showering, driving, waiting around. I also get them when I'm doing the mundane, like laundry. I had an unusual experience with an idea popper which I am going to post about next week. I definitely need to be better about writing my ideas down though.
I get my best ideas at night and in the shower, so I can completely relate. And a few times I was too lazy to get up, so I lost the info. I try not to think about those times.
I get my ideas while doing the same things. Driving and showering are the most popular for me. And I forget unwritten ideas all the time. A few of them have come back to me, though. And yes, I do get ideas that are out of my comfort...and I don't know if I'll ever write them.
I get most of my ideas from weird dreams, but a lot of my ideas pan out in the shower. I have an idea for a dystopian, but I'm wary because dytopian seems so tricky to get right.
I get all of my great ideas in the same places you do. =D Fun post.
I always get the best ideas in the shower -- or right before I go to bed. The problem with the shower is that you want to hurry and get out so that you can write it down!
(New here - hello!)
I write the story I'm most excited about, which right now is only one WIP, but I'll fix that soon as the new ideas come. I don't even know what genre my favorite WIP falls in, that's pretty intimidating. ;)
I haven't actually been woken up by ideas, but I've had ideas in my dreams and then woken and lost them. sucks :(
I get ideas in very random places as well. Sometimes I get ideas for what I guess would be romance novels. So not what I read, but perhaps I should look into it too, when the time is right.
If I don't wake up and write it down, I forget it. You're lucky you remembered! Or I think of it right before bed and think, it's so brilliant that I just HAVE to remember if tomorrow, and of course ... I forget.
The other day I had a great idea for a story and it occurred to me while driving down the same road I drive down every day to get home. It was one idea after another!! never happened to me before. I pulled over and wrote them all down because there was no way they would have stayed in my head the whole car ride.
(I'm Lana, a new blogger but not so new writer. If you get time, please check out my writing blog)
@M.J. Fifield Bathtub markers? That is an awesome idea! My walls would be covered!
@L. Diane Wolfe I definitely do that as well.:)
@RuthCan't wait to see what your idea popper is! :D
@Theresa Milstein I try not to think about losing my ideas as well. It just makes me mad! lol
@Michelle Merrill I've gotten a few way out of my comfort zone, but like you said, I probably won't ever write them.
@Jeigh I wish I could remember my dreams. I know I have some cool ones, but right when I wake up they're gone!:(
@RaShelle Aren't all those places so random? LOL. Thanks for stopping by! :D
@Kiernan I know! I always feel like I have to hurry faster so I won't forget my idea! Thanks for stopping by! :D
@Madeline Bartos I write the WIP I'm mostly excited about as well. Sometimes it's hard to pick just one! lol
@Trisha It does suck. :( That happens quite often to me.
@Anita Saxena It would be fun to venture into a different genre, but I'm pretty sure it won't happen for a while. Good luck with the romance novel ideas! :D
@LanaCongrats on all the new ideas! I love it when that happens. Thanks for stopping by! Going to check out your blog now! :D
I'm so glad you remembered your idea! What a relief. I get ideas the same way you do...showering, driving, washing dishes, folding laundry. I've learned to be open to the ideas, and I have papers and pencils scattered throughout the house :D
I get my ideas at the most inconvenient time. Driving, at the tax office, in a meeting during a presentation I'm giving. I once excused myself for a bathroom trip so I could write an idea down in my notebook.
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