Where I get my story ideas

From my life, the news and beyond

One of the most common questions I am asked from both writer and non-writer friends alike is where do I get my story ideas?

It’s a question which all writers will have to field at some point in their journey and one that most are already tired of answering. I think it emerges from the simplicity of wanting to know more about a story we love. We want to know where it came from and how it grew to be the version that we love to read today.

Sometimes the question is frustrating because a writer hasn’t stopped to think about what the answer is. Some writers write instinctively. Others are meticulous planners. I know that the very first time someone asked me, I had no idea what to say.

I’ve given it a lot of thought since and this is my best attempt at an answer.

From my life

Another question I sometimes get is whether my fiction writing is autobiographical. Sometimes people don’t even ask, they just assume this! They must think I lead a much more interesting and metaphorically-resonant life than I actually do.

My fiction writing often starts from something that happened to me or something I have felt but instead of being what actually happened to me, it is about remixing those emotions into a more interesting story. What happens in my real life doesn’t usually quite make sense and we always want fiction to make sense. 

Song of the Summer

In the beginning, this manuscript grew instinctively from free writing sessions with absolutely no plan.