Neil Gaiman – Jean's Writing

Writer’s block?

Nope, just out of gas. Or out of ideas.

Where a writer finds their ideas is different for every writer. And there are times when we feel plum empty.

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If that’s the case, maybe it’s time to stop, look around, listen and daydream a bit. Then start asking lots and lots of questions.

A while back I touched on the subject of questions, but I’m beginning to understand, asking questions is more important than I first realized.

Not just for the sake of a story, but for ideas too.

Neil Gaiman wrote that he makes up ideas as he daydreams, and when he’s bored. He then begins to ask questions, adding to the “What if…”, “I wonder….”

Angie Sage wrote for The Guardian that she didn’t believe in writer’s block. She explains that running out of ideas may mean your story is just stuck.

What advice does Ms. Sage offer for a stuck story?

She gives us examples of how to jump-start and get back on track.

Roseann Biederman gives us 6 ways to Find Great Writing Ideas

Where Do You Get Your Ideas…? By Michael A. Banks

In his article, Mr. Banks makes a really good point. Although ideas are all around us, the challenge is to recognize the good ones.

I think that may be my issue. Sometimes I get an idea but don’t follow through because I don’t recognize it as a good idea. So, I dismiss it before, the idea has a change to take root.

Grab hold of the mundane, find, conceive, develop and convey your next idea.

What about you? Do you throw out perfectly good ideas because of self-doubt?

What is your creative process?

Do you daydream, or search for ideas elsewhere? Prompts, brainstorming, newspapers, TV, a song, or from conversations?

Talk to me.

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