WHERE DO WRITERS GET THEIR IDEAS?

Sometimes, people who want to be writers ask us, "Where do writers get their ideas?" Only one answer exists, and it requires observation, diligence, and attention to detail. Writers look around, take stock of, and relate, to readers, their view of the world in which they live.

Young writers ask us one of two slightly different questions: "How do I know you won't steal my ideas?" Or "Has anybody else ever had an idea like mine?" Again, only one answer exists, and it is a hard truth which, if not grasped, can destroy a writer's career. We all live in the same world, and no idea is unique. In the editorial world, we recognize a handful of basic plots but admit there are as many variations to those plots as there are writers.

Ideas and plots are secondary to the personalities of the characters that inhabit a writer's world. A plot is made up of conflict. Conflict occurs when a character encounters opposition while pursuing a need. At this point, a writer becomes a psychiatrist in reverse, building the character's personality in such a way as to make the character's needs believable. Needs can be animalistic like food, sleep, or procreation. They can be materialistic like wealth, property, fame, or sex. Or, they can be more esoteric like hate, revenge, self-realization, or love. When the reader believes in the needs of the character, the conflict moves forward, and the plot becomes dramatic.

Drama is the ability to make the reader care about what happens to the character. Non-writers are daunted by the task because they don't understand print which at first glance is a flat medium, books don't offer us surround sound or stunning special effects. This is a false impression, everything the writer needs is available in the mind of the reader. Imagination is a precious shared commodity. It not only creates the author's world but also allows the reader to visit and experience the wonders of that world. As writers, we try to evoke a resonance with the reader's imagination.

For more information, Fax questions with your name and address to (228) 497-5874 or E-mail us at: Curious Cat Productions

Last Revised: 02-Dec-97

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