A writer never takes any time off – we may try, but until the day our brains cease to function, we are working. Even while we sleep, ideas flit through our heads and if we are lucky we can remember some of them In the morning when we wake.
How often do you find yourself playing “what if?” even when you don’t realize that you are doing it. What if I had made a different decision in my life? What if the young lady with the disabled vehicle hadn’t been able to pull her car to the side of the road before that truck came barreling down? What if that police car siren was headed to someone’s house that we know?
Don’t be afraid to let your mind wander. Jot down ideas even if they are only snippets. Sometimes that elusive dream will poke through when you are looking for a new twist. Spark your creativity by rewriting your day and making different choices. Read a newspaper article and turn it into fiction adding characters, settings and even props of your own creation.
Think of a TV show or movie where the ending left you feeling empty – how would you change it? What do you think might have happened if Rhett Butler had never uttered those immortal words, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” and had given Scarlett another chance?
Although it’s been disputed as to exactly how many stories there are to tell, it is generally accepted that there are a limited number of stories/plots, the difference comes in the telling of the story the twists, conflicts and external influences. Romeo and Juliet is cited often for its forbidden love story which ends in tragedy, not unlike West Side Story. Formula romance is basically boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, supposedly insurmountable conflict pulls them apart, boy wins girl back, they live happily ever after.
Obviously well written romances are not really that simplistic, but they all do seem to go through the same basic steps. Authors vary the details, they make characters who fall in love unique, they change the obstacles, they include intriguing side stories and the HEA may or may not end in marriage. Authors may write about same sex characters, imperfect role models, complications that add to the conflict and more. Each story varies in perspective and delivery.
This is not approval to plagiarize, but don’t use the excuse that the story has been written before, just make it DIFFERENT. You have to write. Let your mind loose, question everything, imagine a better way, consider problems, fantasize new worlds, explore new ideas. Just write.
Writing exercise: We’ve all heard biblical stories, choose one. Rewrite the story in 2013. For example, what would happen if a man came across a burning bush and expected his followers to understand while he stayed there to receive a significant message? Try to keep the miracle, but with the reactions and settings of today.
Writing prompt: Think of the most evil character you’ve ever written about, or use one that you’ve read about if you need. Describe their best childhood friend and whether they miss them today.
