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Writing Ideas

One of the questions I receive most often from people curious about writing is..."Where do you get your ideas from?" Well, I get them from everywhere. I'm constantly inspired. If you want to write an essay, short story, a book, then I can assure you that all you have to do is open your mind to everything. Think about that for a moment. Think about the color yellow and then think about all of the hues that yellow comes in from light to lemon, to burnt, to gold...now take that color and place it on a dress and place that dress on someone and tell me who that person is and why that color of dress means something to her. How old is she? Does she carry memories that create sadness, happiness? What is important to her? Did she see something she shouldn't have? Did she invent something? Did she give in, win, lose, grow, what did she do....who does she want to be? Is she a leader, a victim, a survivor, evil, good, or do we know yet? Is she funny? Is she remorseful? Is she a child or an old woman? Does she carry secrets or is she the light in everyone's world?

Am I making my point?

Story ideas come from questions. Even basic questions.

If you want to write, you will find the stories because stories are everywhere. See someone, something and let your mind run with it by asking questions.

Read the news, listen to what people are talking about, look at history, talk to your parents, talk to your friends, your children, talk to yourself (you have memories, don't you)...talk to strangers (except scary ones---those are the ones that are easy to write about. I am a thriller author). The point again is that stories are everywhere. So, if you want to write and you don't know where to start all you have to do is notice something that intrigues you (it can be as basic as the color yellow) and then begin asking questions. Those questions lead to characters and then ask more questions which lead you to a plot, which lead you to an entire theme, and world.

Stories are everywhere and YOU can create them.

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