Where Do Authors Get Ideas for Their Stories?

by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA

Readers often ask us authors where we get ideas for our stories. Today, I’m going to answer. that question.

Ideas are everywhere. We authors simply have to look for them.

So, what do I mean by “everywhere”? I mean everywhere. 🙂

Here are some of the places where we find ideas:

1__In the normal activities and places of our daily lives: like grocery-shopping, at the car repair shop, at the dentist’s office, at our child’s school, at the library, at church. You get the idea. Wherever there are people, there are ideas.

2__In the people around us. People are the substance of story. In fiction, those people are called characters. Every good story starts with a character. So authors get their ideas from observing people—their behavior, their speech, their mannerisms, their appearance, etc.

Now, don’t get paranoid! 🙂 We authors do not take a single person and turn him into a character in our stories. We study the traits of many people and combine those traits to create an original, unique character for our stories. There is a saying among authors that writing fiction is the only profession in which it is not poor manners to eavesdrop. We authors continually eavesdrop to learn about human nature so that we can accurately reflect it in our stories.

3__In newspapers and magazines, both physical and online. A headline can trigger an idea for a story. Even an ad can trigger an idea for a story. So we authors scan newspapers and magazines, looking for story ideas, and often, we find them.

4__In the experiences of family members and friends. Being close up to the suffering of others gives us a clearer perspective on human nature. While we authors protect the identity of our family members and friends, we often use their experiences as the basis for the struggles our characters face in our stories.

5__In the experiences of our own lives. This is one of the key places where authors find ideas. When we have lived through a painful experience ourselves, we understand it intimately. We know the emotions, the struggles, the suffering we have endured. This personal experience makes it easier for us to translate those emotions to the written page.

So, there you have it! Some places where authors get their ideas for their stories. Please join in the conversation and share your thoughts with us. If you are an author as well as a reader, please share with us where you get your story ideas.

And please share The Reader Connection with the readers in your life.

Thanks and Blessings,

MaryAnn <3
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My Fiction Pick for This Week:
For that special child in your life . . .

Under the Tangerine Tree by Esther Bandy
Middle-Grade Fiction (8-12-year-olds)

Twelve-year-old Angie Mangione lives with her parents and her five-year-old brother, Joey, in New York City. After Papa is shot, Mama moves with Angie and Joey to Granny’s house on a country lake in Florida. How can Angie cope with missing Papa, moving to Florida, being the new girl at school, and living with her angry teenage cousin at Granny’s house? Will Angie and Joey be able to survive the mysterious danger that lurks in the lake? With all the changes in Angie’s life, will she ever be happy again?

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Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.