Friday, June 25, 2010

Keep 'Em Coming - The Ideas, That Is

People often ask, where do you get your ideas? I usually answer that they come from everyday life—things the kids do or talk about, things I notice, tidbits that make me stop and think when I’m reading the newspaper. But in reality, they're always around me, popping out of thin air when I'm doing anything. A few places where I’ve gotten ideas this week:

1. Watching my daughter's swimming lessons at the community pool

2. Out looking for snails (for my classroom) in the garden

3. In the middle of the night during a thunderstorm, when I'm trying to stop the dog from digging a hole in the hardwood floor under my bed

4. While I’m rushing around trying to do 101 things and I can’t find a scrap of paper or a pencil that isn’t broken

5. Writing in my book journal in the perspective of the character in my novel

Where's the weirdest place you've gotten a writing-related idea?


  1. These are great! I'm having trouble thinking of an idea that I'm really excited about. I have some but they aren't coming together as I'd like them to. I'm hoping when things slow down for me some that they will come!

  2. Recently, I was stuck in the middle of a scene and I sat down to watch some TV and try to clear the cobwebs. Suddenly, I got the perfect idea to fix things while watching the credits for The Price is Right roll! That was pretty weird. It was an odd name that kick start things.

  3. I'm invariably in the car when ideas hit. Don't know why driving opens everything up for me. Of course I do pull over to the side to write down my ideas. Uh, huh. Every time. (I also don't know why I think I'm going to remember an idea until I get home. It. Never. Happens.)

  4. I love how ideas can literally pop up anywhere and anytime. Not sure what the weirdest idea spot is for NEW book ideas, but for ideas on a current project, nothing beats the shower.

  5. Andrea V, I never remember the idea when I get home either! Once I had my 10-yr-old get out my writing notebook and jot down my ideas. Marcia, I'm always thinking of ideas in the shower too - another place where I don't have my notebook!

  6. The shower is a treasure trove for me. Once I got an idea for a scene in the car and ended up writing the scene down on the back of a long grocery receipt. :)

  7. I get lots of ideas in the shower, while doing dishes, or folding laundry. Conversations with my kids feed me lots of ideas and one-liners.

    I like your blog. :)

