My ideas come from most anywhere. On my latest WIP, an animated fantasy feature, I was struck with inspiration years ago by a playtime session with my 7-year old stepdaughter. Everything had come to mind, nearly fully formed, as if I had just discovered it.
I'm a true believer in the mentality of "write what you know". If you don't know much, you won't have a lot to write about. Go out and enjoy yourself. Do something spontaneous and fun. Do something you've never done before and then write a couple of pages about your experience. I call these "Artist Dates". You'll be surprised how much can come from just exercising your skill of writing.
To me, there is not one single main source of inspiration for my story ideas; I can base any story that I come up with on anything! From my portfolio, I have created stories based on other kinds of stories that have already been told (or at least, my own interpretations of those stories without resorting to plagiarism), as well as based on current/social events (or my reactions to those events), personal experiences that I've had (usually in the form of references), or based on things that I like or find to be interesting, such as figure skating or traditional Japanese culture or lesbian representation. Or, I just come up with the first thing that pops into my head and call it a day! I'll need to re-evaluate all of my work just to make sure, but no matter how I come up with story ideas, the thing to remember is that it doesn't have to narrow down to just one source.
I’ll start with a question, idea or I’ll have a scene in my head. Then I’ll start moving it around.
“What would it take for someone to kill a stranger?”
1) You have a bomb strapped to you?
2) They have a bomb strapped to your spouse?
3) They have a bomb strapped to your child?
Okay here is a scenario. They have a bomb strapped to your adult family members (we’ll leave kids out of it). There is a count down clock. You have 20 seconds to decide who to save. One must stay. You make your decisions. The story is living with the fall out of that.
You’d have to play around with the reason for the decision, to make it reasonable and believable. But that is my basic process.
There are hundreds of ideas all around you - you just need to open your eyes.
You will see different ideas than I do, because we all see the ideas that are personal to us.
In the Idea Machine Blue Book I talk about racing across London to teach a class on Ideas at a Film Festival and almost getting hit by a bus with the destination sign "Dulwich Library"...
So I found an idea in that and pitched in it to the class.
Why is there a special library for dull witches? (yes, I know that's not how it's pronounced, but I am American).
What if you are a witch who is good at spelling but not popular? Nobody notices you. The others at Witch School are not as good as spelling as you, but are more exciting - so they get all of the praise and have a future in witchcraft. But at the library there are books about how to become more interesting and exciting! And on final exam day, the new you (no longer full) wows everyone!
As the dull, bookish writer who wasn't popular in school, this is my story (though I am male and not good at spelling).
There are ideas all around you. Right now.
(my VOLATILE script is about a guy who wakes up with fresh stitches, stolen kidney? Nope, implanted bomb. He can see the red LED timer counting down through his skin! A voice on the phone tells him who to kill if he wants the bomb removed.)
Basically, I steal most of 'em. When I read scripts, read books, magazines, watch a film, watch the news. Someone said that there are only 9 to 11 basic story lines out there (an ole' Bill Shakespeare got most of 'em), so tell me the same old story only differently.
If I am writing and get a bit stuck for direction or ideas I like to take long walks and clear my head. Many times ideas will pop into my mind about the characters and how their story will play out.
For me, it really depends on the project. Sometimes, it's inspiration from events or people in my life; other times, it's books, movies, or TV shows I read/see. Still others times, it's just totally random images or lines that come to me!
Different sources of things: Other movies, books, listening to music, letting my imagination go nuts, artwork, or even a photo (Recently came up with a space opera idea because of a picture of a friend, for example)
Madison, I'm all over the map when it comes to sources of inspiration. I've used other movies and other TV shows as springboards for my own scripts; in addition, I've gotten inspiration from books, music, other people's life experiences, and my own goings-on in life.
Glad that you're here on Stage 32...all the VERY BEST to you!
The moment. Wherever I’m at...is there “something” here. I take the smallest thing, mull it over. Is it a full story or a character trait? Most importantly I wrote it down in my phone. Come back to it and sometimes there’s a connection. And of course reading just about everything I can. Being nosey and click on the stories my friends post. Stay abreast of current topics mainstream or underground. It works for me as I have enough stories to keep me busy for a while.
Scientifically in our brains we have neurons. Idea is like a seed, it can come with any external inputs of life experiences or reading or it can spark itself like a dream but something abstract. Than the idea like as its called seed spreads likely a thunder or like roots joining multiple points in neurons which got its own sort of memory points .
More simple analogy I can give is. Imagine a still water. Dropping a pebble creates a ripple effect. And it can collide with already existing ones or rebound back to what the idea created a primary wave. Second are those which two waves collide and you see the intersection of waves creating a pattern. That forms an idea too.
So one is created out of subconscious abstract way joining to conscious brain collected information or symbols or events and another is like conscious minds way of joining multiple different already existing information of reading, life, stories or events around us. Writing from phone.. Sleepy but hope pardon me for grammatical mistakes
Bharatha Muni Philosopher Writer Saint Yogi wrote about this way way long time ago too in a book chapter of Natyashastra which got also a volumes on drama, poetry, dance, story writing techniques so on. Its like 6 volumes of it. Even before Aristotle wrote about poetry or JosephCampbell coming up with 3 Act structure from Aristotle idea of pity fear and catharsis, Bharatha Muni wrote about it even how idea starts in the book of Natyashastra. .You can find that on Amazon
Even Harvard studies wrote article I think which wrote how Ideas come in our brain and it got similar patterns mentioned which BharataMuni writes in his book.
Barry John Terblanche I tried to explain this once but people weren't interested to listen and kept saying Idea doesn't have value and all that crap, and i was trying to scientifically explain with proof. But now when I saw same question, though I was sleepy I thought to share.
Bharata mentions the five elements of the plot (artha-prakrti) of the Drama as the seed (Bija); the expansion or the intermediate point which links to the next (Bindu); the episode (Pataka); the incident in the episode (Prakari) and the dramatic outcome (Karya). These are to be used according to the main Rasa of the play and the prescriptions of the Shastra.(NS: 19.21)
To be clear, Barry John Terblanche and Rohit, when people in the industry say "ideas don't have any value," they mean in the marketplace, in the business. They don't mean ideas don't have value in our lives/minds/writing.
They don't have value in the business because everyone has them, and they're meaningful to the person who has them (thus supporting the science); however, to be useful (valuable) to the industry, ideas must be executed. Produced into a form that can be communicated (read, watched, listened to) by humans at large.
@JohnEllis Have you ever seen birds feeding on seeds. Most birds just have habit to gulp anything everything you put infront of them which looks like seeds. But there are birds which are hunters kind which have a specific skills, brain capabilities to know which are genuine seeds, which seed is good for health and can be eaten and those which should be few to be left so that it turns into tree and feed them in coming seasons. This comes with experience and a sense of living in nature, hunting for food. Not every bird have that. Those hunter kind of birds build that learning gradually and also from their mother or father bird.
Similarly you can do one thing.. Visit a startup angel or seed investor meets.I have attended a few being Engineer Entreprenur myself and seen this many times. You see these investors are like Film producers. They have those psychological training, brain's potential like how I explained how a seed works. They have it, to see just your Logline or an idea, measure how you are in those skill of writing and executing it and that for them comes naturally. They can tell your potential to execute and gauze your ability to build that and foresee the market value of your idea and are they genuine/fresh or interconnected ones.
This.. this this doesn't come to every odd person in the street who just sees ideas/seed and gulp it or consider every seed/idea are all one and the same thought process. . It's like NLP training, which teach people how to convince or talk in a way wherein they buy or do things for you. Some people needs training, some build that around such environment of family or other methods.
Yes most ideas/seed look alike but there is a skill to see beyond. That is the reality and biggest problem is those who don't have this skill will go on telling everyone that idea dont have value because of their own built up inferiority complex of not knowing that skill which investors mind have and they go on cooking up all kinds of stories.
Most of us are tested in many skills like do we know this in and have those capabilities to execute. Many don't have it and it's fine. but most just say, "I know it all" just to get the job attitude. It feels uncomfortable for many to say, "I don't know it and willing learn through it".
Idea for an "investor" or producer is not just some concept written on a paper document. Its that "Person who had written it and their practical knowledge of subject matter and creative capabilities to execute it at ease". All forms a seed which their brain calculates internally like joining those neurons of data points which tells ok, this guy/girl that skill, the idea looks good, so on.. That's what investor have and can instantly read through. It and it comes with experience. .Not everyone have it. And it's all fine if many don't have it.
I have a small, but intense, store of obsessions. Most of the stuff I've written circles in one way or another around those themes and ideas.
I've very recently started a script (comedy-drama) that comes from personal experience (which is new for me), but still touches on my fav themes. It's called Youth Group Kid. This is the most personal thing I've written and it feels like therapy.
Music is a huge source of inspiration for me. I think it's because most good songs are open to interpretation, so beyond the sort of obvious story in a song, there's room for expansion and more than one side to the story. I often find I get my best writing ideas when driving in my car alone with music on.
From the deepest emotions I have ever felt. My emotions become characters, places, and sometimes even catastrophic events. I don't really write a character based on someone I know, but I write them based on what I feel. Like if I wanted a character and I wanted her to look like laughter and mischief, then she's going to be this wild chick with curly hair that just bounces off her shoulder like coiled springs reminiscent of the slinky and trampoline 'cause for me that's just fun and laughter right there.
Morris, I have a couple horror pieces. My inspiration is the same for those as for everything I write, my thematic obsessions. Both my horror scripts involve the idea that our everyday world, systems, and structures, are the tip of the iceberg of a larger reality.
Every single thing I write in every genre circles the same gravitational center in one way or another.
For me, it's two places: music and literature. Fr music, it's usually when I'm running around, exercising or cleaning. I let impressions, random thoughts or feelings come up, and document them on a voice recorder on my phone. With literature, read multiple books a month, always trying to pick at least one title I don't know/never heard of/isn't my thing. I also include something classical. I journal my impressions or ideas that come from them. Then, when I hit a rut or a wall, I c=go back to these recordings and notes to help me through.
Landscapes inspire me. Drinking coffee in a cafe, watching and listening to the people around me. "What if" conversations with colleagues, family and friends. Making up silly stories about ferrets in the fast lane with my girlfriend's 11 year old Star Wars obsessed son. Playing with my cat. Failing miserably at something. "Life, the universe, and everything" to quote Douglas Adams.
I've had ideas from bumper stickers, seeing a mushroom while mowing the yard, weird cliche sayings that popped into my head...in other words, the voices in my head be cuckoo. I'm a comedy writer, so people watching is golden.
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I write with my brothers and most of our ideas come from our childhood adventures.
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My ideas come from most anywhere. On my latest WIP, an animated fantasy feature, I was struck with inspiration years ago by a playtime session with my 7-year old stepdaughter. Everything had come to mind, nearly fully formed, as if I had just discovered it.
2 people like this
Music a lot of times. A song will strike a mood and then I’ll envision a scene to go with it and then build a story from that.
Brad Mason definitely. I've also found so much inspiration in NPR stories.
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I'm a true believer in the mentality of "write what you know". If you don't know much, you won't have a lot to write about. Go out and enjoy yourself. Do something spontaneous and fun. Do something you've never done before and then write a couple of pages about your experience. I call these "Artist Dates". You'll be surprised how much can come from just exercising your skill of writing.
1 person likes this
To me, there is not one single main source of inspiration for my story ideas; I can base any story that I come up with on anything! From my portfolio, I have created stories based on other kinds of stories that have already been told (or at least, my own interpretations of those stories without resorting to plagiarism), as well as based on current/social events (or my reactions to those events), personal experiences that I've had (usually in the form of references), or based on things that I like or find to be interesting, such as figure skating or traditional Japanese culture or lesbian representation. Or, I just come up with the first thing that pops into my head and call it a day! I'll need to re-evaluate all of my work just to make sure, but no matter how I come up with story ideas, the thing to remember is that it doesn't have to narrow down to just one source.
1 person likes this
I look to the ordinary for inspiration, the everyday, the seemingly mundane, and find the extraordinary story in simple situations.
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I’ll start with a question, idea or I’ll have a scene in my head. Then I’ll start moving it around.
“What would it take for someone to kill a stranger?”
1) You have a bomb strapped to you?
2) They have a bomb strapped to your spouse?
3) They have a bomb strapped to your child?
Okay here is a scenario. They have a bomb strapped to your adult family members (we’ll leave kids out of it). There is a count down clock. You have 20 seconds to decide who to save. One must stay. You make your decisions. The story is living with the fall out of that.
You’d have to play around with the reason for the decision, to make it reasonable and believable. But that is my basic process.
1 person likes this
There are hundreds of ideas all around you - you just need to open your eyes.
You will see different ideas than I do, because we all see the ideas that are personal to us.
In the Idea Machine Blue Book I talk about racing across London to teach a class on Ideas at a Film Festival and almost getting hit by a bus with the destination sign "Dulwich Library"...
So I found an idea in that and pitched in it to the class.
Why is there a special library for dull witches? (yes, I know that's not how it's pronounced, but I am American).
What if you are a witch who is good at spelling but not popular? Nobody notices you. The others at Witch School are not as good as spelling as you, but are more exciting - so they get all of the praise and have a future in witchcraft. But at the library there are books about how to become more interesting and exciting! And on final exam day, the new you (no longer full) wows everyone!
As the dull, bookish writer who wasn't popular in school, this is my story (though I am male and not good at spelling).
There are ideas all around you. Right now.
(my VOLATILE script is about a guy who wakes up with fresh stitches, stolen kidney? Nope, implanted bomb. He can see the red LED timer counting down through his skin! A voice on the phone tells him who to kill if he wants the bomb removed.)
Basically, I steal most of 'em. When I read scripts, read books, magazines, watch a film, watch the news. Someone said that there are only 9 to 11 basic story lines out there (an ole' Bill Shakespeare got most of 'em), so tell me the same old story only differently.
1 person likes this
If I am writing and get a bit stuck for direction or ideas I like to take long walks and clear my head. Many times ideas will pop into my mind about the characters and how their story will play out.
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Basically other movies are a good source for inspiration. Just read my new screenplay!
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For me, it really depends on the project. Sometimes, it's inspiration from events or people in my life; other times, it's books, movies, or TV shows I read/see. Still others times, it's just totally random images or lines that come to me!
There's an 800 number based in Waterloo.
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Different sources of things: Other movies, books, listening to music, letting my imagination go nuts, artwork, or even a photo (Recently came up with a space opera idea because of a picture of a friend, for example)
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Madison, I'm all over the map when it comes to sources of inspiration. I've used other movies and other TV shows as springboards for my own scripts; in addition, I've gotten inspiration from books, music, other people's life experiences, and my own goings-on in life.
Glad that you're here on Stage 32...all the VERY BEST to you!
1 person likes this
The moment. Wherever I’m at...is there “something” here. I take the smallest thing, mull it over. Is it a full story or a character trait? Most importantly I wrote it down in my phone. Come back to it and sometimes there’s a connection. And of course reading just about everything I can. Being nosey and click on the stories my friends post. Stay abreast of current topics mainstream or underground. It works for me as I have enough stories to keep me busy for a while.
1 person likes this
The characters just start telling me their stories and asking me to write them. Sometimes demanding :)
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Scientifically in our brains we have neurons. Idea is like a seed, it can come with any external inputs of life experiences or reading or it can spark itself like a dream but something abstract. Than the idea like as its called seed spreads likely a thunder or like roots joining multiple points in neurons which got its own sort of memory points .
More simple analogy I can give is. Imagine a still water. Dropping a pebble creates a ripple effect. And it can collide with already existing ones or rebound back to what the idea created a primary wave. Second are those which two waves collide and you see the intersection of waves creating a pattern. That forms an idea too.
So one is created out of subconscious abstract way joining to conscious brain collected information or symbols or events and another is like conscious minds way of joining multiple different already existing information of reading, life, stories or events around us. Writing from phone.. Sleepy but hope pardon me for grammatical mistakes
Bharatha Muni Philosopher Writer Saint Yogi wrote about this way way long time ago too in a book chapter of Natyashastra which got also a volumes on drama, poetry, dance, story writing techniques so on. Its like 6 volumes of it. Even before Aristotle wrote about poetry or JosephCampbell coming up with 3 Act structure from Aristotle idea of pity fear and catharsis, Bharatha Muni wrote about it even how idea starts in the book of Natyashastra. .You can find that on Amazon
Even Harvard studies wrote article I think which wrote how Ideas come in our brain and it got similar patterns mentioned which BharataMuni writes in his book.
Barry John Terblanche I tried to explain this once but people weren't interested to listen and kept saying Idea doesn't have value and all that crap, and i was trying to scientifically explain with proof. But now when I saw same question, though I was sleepy I thought to share.
In Natyashastra it's written as
Bijah Bindu Pataka cha Prakari karyameva cha /
Artha-prakrutyah pancha tatva yojya tata vidihi //
Bharata mentions the five elements of the plot (artha-prakrti) of the Drama as the seed (Bija); the expansion or the intermediate point which links to the next (Bindu); the episode (Pataka); the incident in the episode (Prakari) and the dramatic outcome (Karya). These are to be used according to the main Rasa of the play and the prescriptions of the Shastra.(NS: 19.21)
Here is one link of explaination. . https://sreenivasaraos.com/2012/09/13/bharatas-natya-shastra-some-reflec...
This above stuff I explained it more simpler form.
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To be clear, Barry John Terblanche and Rohit, when people in the industry say "ideas don't have any value," they mean in the marketplace, in the business. They don't mean ideas don't have value in our lives/minds/writing.
They don't have value in the business because everyone has them, and they're meaningful to the person who has them (thus supporting the science); however, to be useful (valuable) to the industry, ideas must be executed. Produced into a form that can be communicated (read, watched, listened to) by humans at large.
1 person likes this
@JohnEllis Have you ever seen birds feeding on seeds. Most birds just have habit to gulp anything everything you put infront of them which looks like seeds. But there are birds which are hunters kind which have a specific skills, brain capabilities to know which are genuine seeds, which seed is good for health and can be eaten and those which should be few to be left so that it turns into tree and feed them in coming seasons. This comes with experience and a sense of living in nature, hunting for food. Not every bird have that. Those hunter kind of birds build that learning gradually and also from their mother or father bird.
Similarly you can do one thing.. Visit a startup angel or seed investor meets.I have attended a few being Engineer Entreprenur myself and seen this many times. You see these investors are like Film producers. They have those psychological training, brain's potential like how I explained how a seed works. They have it, to see just your Logline or an idea, measure how you are in those skill of writing and executing it and that for them comes naturally. They can tell your potential to execute and gauze your ability to build that and foresee the market value of your idea and are they genuine/fresh or interconnected ones.
This.. this this doesn't come to every odd person in the street who just sees ideas/seed and gulp it or consider every seed/idea are all one and the same thought process. . It's like NLP training, which teach people how to convince or talk in a way wherein they buy or do things for you. Some people needs training, some build that around such environment of family or other methods.
Yes most ideas/seed look alike but there is a skill to see beyond. That is the reality and biggest problem is those who don't have this skill will go on telling everyone that idea dont have value because of their own built up inferiority complex of not knowing that skill which investors mind have and they go on cooking up all kinds of stories.
Most of us are tested in many skills like do we know this in and have those capabilities to execute. Many don't have it and it's fine. but most just say, "I know it all" just to get the job attitude. It feels uncomfortable for many to say, "I don't know it and willing learn through it".
Idea for an "investor" or producer is not just some concept written on a paper document. Its that "Person who had written it and their practical knowledge of subject matter and creative capabilities to execute it at ease". All forms a seed which their brain calculates internally like joining those neurons of data points which tells ok, this guy/girl that skill, the idea looks good, so on.. That's what investor have and can instantly read through. It and it comes with experience. .Not everyone have it. And it's all fine if many don't have it.
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Almost always from personal experiences with a twist.
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I have a small, but intense, store of obsessions. Most of the stuff I've written circles in one way or another around those themes and ideas.
I've very recently started a script (comedy-drama) that comes from personal experience (which is new for me), but still touches on my fav themes. It's called Youth Group Kid. This is the most personal thing I've written and it feels like therapy.
2 people like this
I am wowed by Rohit's thought provoking comments here. In fact, all very enlightening read here - have nothing to add apart from appreciation.
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Music is a huge source of inspiration for me. I think it's because most good songs are open to interpretation, so beyond the sort of obvious story in a song, there's room for expansion and more than one side to the story. I often find I get my best writing ideas when driving in my car alone with music on.
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The shower.
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Heather well said! That's where I get my inspiration as well!
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Life
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From the deepest emotions I have ever felt. My emotions become characters, places, and sometimes even catastrophic events. I don't really write a character based on someone I know, but I write them based on what I feel. Like if I wanted a character and I wanted her to look like laughter and mischief, then she's going to be this wild chick with curly hair that just bounces off her shoulder like coiled springs reminiscent of the slinky and trampoline 'cause for me that's just fun and laughter right there.
Hey Morris, I’ve written two scripts in the genre, and I find the inspiration from the setting’s and tones I’m hoping to capture.
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Morris, I have a couple horror pieces. My inspiration is the same for those as for everything I write, my thematic obsessions. Both my horror scripts involve the idea that our everyday world, systems, and structures, are the tip of the iceberg of a larger reality.
Every single thing I write in every genre circles the same gravitational center in one way or another.
1 person likes this
For me, it's two places: music and literature. Fr music, it's usually when I'm running around, exercising or cleaning. I let impressions, random thoughts or feelings come up, and document them on a voice recorder on my phone. With literature, read multiple books a month, always trying to pick at least one title I don't know/never heard of/isn't my thing. I also include something classical. I journal my impressions or ideas that come from them. Then, when I hit a rut or a wall, I c=go back to these recordings and notes to help me through.
Mother Nature
Landscapes inspire me. Drinking coffee in a cafe, watching and listening to the people around me. "What if" conversations with colleagues, family and friends. Making up silly stories about ferrets in the fast lane with my girlfriend's 11 year old Star Wars obsessed son. Playing with my cat. Failing miserably at something. "Life, the universe, and everything" to quote Douglas Adams.
2 people like this
I've had ideas from bumper stickers, seeing a mushroom while mowing the yard, weird cliche sayings that popped into my head...in other words, the voices in my head be cuckoo. I'm a comedy writer, so people watching is golden.
2 people like this
Literature and life experience. I find the best ideas come from experiences or stories where I made an emotional connection.
personal experiences and family stories are my inspiration.