Every book starts with an idea.

Where do you get those ideas?

How do you turn them into stories?

Idea Generators

I love idea generator tools for writing; this is one of the reasons I love putting together writing prompts. As soon as I read one, my mind goes into creating the world I want that prompt to fit.

Writing prompts are invaluable tools that help authors kickstart their inspiration and creativity. These prompts are thought-provoking ideas or scenarios that are a starting point for the creative process. Having a starting point or a specific theme ignites the imagination. It pushes authors to explore uncharted territories in their writing. One of the benefits of writing prompts is overcoming writer’s block, stimulating new ideas, and fostering the development of writing skills. Writing prompts encourage authors to think outside the box, challenging them to craft unique storylines, vivid characters, and engaging narratives. They also allow writers to experiment with various genres, styles, and perspectives. Moreover, prompts can serve as valuable exercises in training the mind to be ready to write at a specific time every day.

A picture is worth a thousand words. For writers, a thousand words is a quick little exercise when we don’t have to perfect everything. Scroll through social media, stock photo sites, the newspaper, or even images of people on Google. You will find an unlimited number of pictures to write about. One day you can pick the easier one of a person. Who is this person? Why are they wearing that expression? Are they headed somewhere special? Ask all the “W” questions to generate ideas about that person.

How about a scenic picture? I like using images of landscapes to ask questions about what might happen in this location. Who would be the character walking down the streets? Why are they out in the dark woods at dusk? What has brought them to this place? Should I care that everything is still?

Random Word Generators are great for combining words to inspire authors with unexpected connections or themes. An example is a fox and a balloon or a lamp and floor. What do those two-word combinations make you think of? For me, I wonder if the fox is having a party and he is in charge of getting the balloons. Will he get them to the party without popping them with his sharp teeth? How about a lamp and floor? These words make me wonder if the lamp got knocked over on the floor when the girl was running through the house trying to escape the intruder if you want to go to the dark side. Or was the lamp lying on the floor trying to help its friend, the stapler find its missing staples?

Plot Twist Generators pop out surprising plot twists or unexpected developments. Let’s say you are on a road trip to California for a family reunion. A plot twist might be something like the car breaks down. Where does this lead you? If you are driving from the Midwest, you are going across many desert landscapes. To find help, because there is no cell reception, the family sets off across the hills to walk through a mirage into a different land. Or you are all set to get married standing at the altar when the church is invaded by locus and carry the bride away to be their queen.

Character Name Generators. I love naming my characters and take way too long picking out names for them. Sometimes the names come quickly, and it fits the character perfectly. Other times I need to pull out the old baby name book to find a name that has a meaning that will work for my story. When using a name generator that explains the meaning behind a name, you can think about the character having those traits. If a name means sweet, the character might be the girl next door with a bow on top charming. Or a name meaning forest could be turned into the massive size man who is a logger and runs the woods at night in a wolf’s body.

Similar to the writing prompts or pictures is a story idea generator that combines elements such as setting, conflicts, and themes to get your fingers typing. Let’s have a go. Your setting is a parking lot full of bikers. Conflict could be a toddler who just dropped her ice cream cone and is full of sadness. Compassion for others would be the theme. One biker sees what happens and helps the tired and stressed mom out by buying another ice cream cone for the little girl. There are also great games that do this same thing. You pick a card with the setting on it and another card with the conflict. You can combine them in as many ways as possible to generate ideas.

Genre Mashup Generators are always fun. These generators combine different genres or storytelling elements to create unique and unconventional writing opportunities. How about the little dragon who gives the detective clues to find the bad guy? Or, in a post-apocalyptic world where magic has emerged after a catastrophic event, a group of survivors must navigate through a cyberpunk wasteland filled with advanced technology, mystical creatures, and magic infestation.

Question Generators are another fun one. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Questions to bring out the explorer in all writers to deepen their writing and explore uncharted territories. Examples might be, What if humans discovered a hidden portal leading to an alternate dimension where their deepest fears come to life? How would a brilliant scientist who accidentally created a potion that swapped people’s personalities, causing chaos and hilarious mix-ups in a small town?

First Line Generators are another personal favorite of mine. I have spent hours collecting and using these types of prompts. With the opening line to spark your imagination and set the tone of the beginning of a story, there is no wrong way to go. Something like – “Why on earth are you covered in green slime?” Or, “Mom, Dad is in the kitchen covered in tar and pinecones.” There could be a great story behind both of those sentences.

What do you do now that you have several ways to get an idea for a story?

It is time to compile all your ideas into a file. Did you find some characters that you love and want to include? If so, do you have an image that best represents that person for your story? How about places you want your story to take place? Start collecting those pictures so you can refer back to them when it comes time to write.

I use a couple of tools to collect all my ideas. I love Pinterest! Beyond in love with it, actually. It makes sense to my brain and is an easy way to research places, find characters that would work for my stories, collect writing prompts to help get the juices flowing, and research details needed for my stories.

Once I have a concrete idea for my story, I move on to the outlining phase, which we will talk about next time.