When You Get A New Story Idea...

What do you do when you get a new story idea, but find yourself in a situation in which you can't start writing it at the moment? For example, when this happens to me, I pace back and forth while I think about it, and as I do so I start coming up with the characters and forming the plot.

I just make up a summary of the entire story that's normally a couple pages long and don't really think about editing it, just to get all my ideas out before stopping. I also do a lot of pacing, although that's mostly when I'm developing characters.

Once I'm done with the summary, I leave it alone and don't really think about it again until I can actually sit down and start writing.

I write the idea down, name the characters and things like that. How long it should be, how many chapters, etc.., but then I leave it for a while and when I come back and look at it ideas just race threw my head.

I usually write down the basic idea of the story, work out the beginning, (parts of) the middle and the end and leave massive gaping holes in the plot. :'D

I tend to think up the ending first. I don't know why.

So I write the ending and go backwards writing.
Because that's how I roll :file:

I backwards writing.

To say the truth, I never write down any new story ideas. Instead I daydream about it forever until I have the plot figured out. Outlining gives me writers block, I really don't know why.

I try and embed it into my mind until I can write it down. I'll think of an object to assosciate it with so it's easy to remember. Then I try and think of characters and possible storylines.

Well, I never plunge headfirst into writing a story in the first place.
It starts with an idea smacking me in the face, as inspiration usually comes, and from there I begin formulating.

The first thing I set is the tone, the feel of the story. Do I want to invoke despair, happiness, pity?
Then I agree on a meaning, or a theme. What's my purpose for writing this story?
Next I use a system that helps me separate the story into proper scenes. I break them down firstly by the central character in the scene, then the emotion, the event, and any secondary character. It works wonders. 8)

Once everything is set up, I'll develop my characters more fully. I always title the story last.

Meh, I'm too hard on myself, sometimes.

Rose Red:

To say the truth, I never write down any new story ideas. Instead I daydream about it forever until I have the plot figured out. Outlining gives me writers block, I really don't know why.

That's what I do. I imagine I'm one of the characters and think of how that person would react in different situations and to other characters.

Write it down. :D

I start writing it in my head or RPing it aloud. Whichever works for the time being. When I'm on long car trips alone, I usually put on a song that fits and have discussions as/with my characters.

Rose Red:

To say the truth, I never write down any new story ideas. Instead I daydream about it forever until I have the plot figured out. Outlining gives me writers block, I really don't know why.

Yes! That's exactly how it is with me.

Rose Red:

To say the truth, I never write down any new story ideas. Instead I daydream about it forever until I have the plot figured out. Outlining gives me writers block, I really don't know why.

That's actually exactly what I do, too. I can't write drafts of anything, because, for some reason, writing down my thoughts that come to me when I brainstorm, just makes me lose inspiration...Not sure why, though.

druscilla; glitter.:

I start writing it in my head or RPing it aloud. Whichever works for the time being. When I'm on long car trips alone, I usually put on a song that fits and have discussions as/with my characters.

Ohgod. I thought I was crazy for talking to my characters. :lmfao

I always find it easier to write some of it out in my head. It matters if I'm at a place where I'll easily forget it because if I'm at a place like that I'll like write it on my arm sometimes. :tehe:

I have this special blue book that I write the Idea's in
I get the main idea down, characters/info, and then go into detail of what will happen. It usually takes up like six pages in that book, in a normal book about three pages I persume.

I start writing the story out in my head when a plot comes to me. The one I write in my head is always better than the one I type out for some reason. o-o

Noting. Most of the time anyway. It happens that I start writing right away though, especially if it’s a drabble or one-shot. Normally I have story ideas in my head for weeks, sometimes months, before I do anything about it. Then I usually research and write a few pages that are nothing but facts. It can be about anything that I already know will be in the story. For example it can be about a mental illness or simply a character sheet. After that I write. And most of the time I just write the story chronologically. It happens that I think of a scene that’ll take place a few chapters ahead though and then I write that down. But only if I got the entire scene figured out, otherwise I just keep it all in my head. So I never write down ideas. I only write complete chapters or scenes and the rest stays in my head until I have an entire scene. At the moment I have four story ideas that I’m thinking about every now and then. Since I think about them at least once a day I don’t forget them - I can remember an idea for at least over a year. And I don't want to start writing them until I feel like it. Which can take time. So yeah.

I go for a walk with my iPod, and play around with the idea whilst waving at passing cars. I fuck around with eight or nine different scenarios and some good scenes to put in. It seems that walk + iPod = plot bunnies for me.

I come home, scribbled some character notes on a bit of paper, play around with names all day. I think about it all evening, and whileI'm in the bath decide whether to write it or not.

I usually just try and think of what a good summary for it would be, although usually, that's what appears in my mind first. I don't really think about the characters or anything until afterwards.

If I'm in a place where I can't write down the summary though, I try and just think about it as much as possible so I don't forget it.

I tend to just get the idea, and I'll mull over it for a day or two before a start to get a general idea of what I'm writing about and write a little summary in my word document with all my other ideas.