A story is an artistic arrangement of words that can make us see a lush green field, hear a baby’s terrified wails, smell delicate orange blossoms, and even taste rich red wine.
To write a story you need an idea, a spark that you can lay on a piece of paper where it can blaze into a book. An idea for a story can be anything. The sky is not limit, the limit is beyond it.
The idea for a story can be as simple as a young wizard boy (J.K. Rowling), a futuristic cop (Nora Roberts as J.D. Robb), or a haunted hotel (Stephen King). You could get an idea from your grandparents great love story that you hear every time you visit them, or from a friend who just went through something good (or bad). It could be a memoir or a true crime that has always fascinated you. You could also get an idea from a bizarre incident, which is how I started writing…
"One day, when I was twelve years old, I sat down on a small grassy hill next to my house after a lone game of basketball. I was playing with the sharp blades of grass when my fingers brushed something that was stuck deep in the roots. I thought it could’ve been a lucky penny or a key to a secret place.
"Curious, I dug it out and looked at my find. Unfortunately, it was not a penny or a key but a screw. The tip was crooked and it was crusted with orange rust. For the strangest reason, while holding that pathetic screw, a story came to me about an extraordinary girl in an alternate world.
"I rushed inside my house, grabbed an old notebook and a black pen, and then ran back to that little mound of grass to write the beginning of that story.
"I wrote fiercely, trying to catch all the words stumbling around in my head, and I've written every day since."
So as you can see, an idea and inspiration for a story (or a series of them) can literally come from anything. Don’t fight to find a story, let it come to you instead.
One day, when you’re least expecting it (that is always the moment) your eyes will widen and you’ll think “that would make a great story!” and voilà!
Now capture that spark with both hands and set it on a piece of paper to blaze.
QUESTION: What sparked your urge to want to write (a novel)?
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