Well, anywhere and everywhere. The question you should actually be asking is, ‘What connections can I make with those ideas?’
Ideas are one flint of what you need to set ablaze your creativity. So what is the second flint? It’s connectivity. Ideas come from any place you can imagine. From the news, social media, that odd conversation between those two suspicious characters on the bus, the grocery store, etc. A lot of people ask this question, and most of the time writers give an adorable answer because they themselves are not 100% sure. I’ve pondered the same question for years and my answer is, ‘ideas are harvested from everywhere. It’s actually how we process those ideas that make a story.’
Let’s have an example: I was on facebook the other day and came across a fact about space. Apparently there are exoplanets that reflect around 80% of light (mirror planets?), while Earth reflects only 30%. Fun fact right? Well, what shall we do with it? We introduce a second flint, and one way of doing that is by asking questions. What would it be like to live on such a planet? Who would be crazy enough to attempt such a mission? What if NASA sent a cute animal, let’s say a temperamental cat named Sparkles, who scored the highest on laser pointing simulations and pottery? And there you have it, a connection with a fun fact and an irresistible desire to know what business does Mr Sparkles have on a mirror planet making pottery.
Another example? I was walking back home and needed to take the overpass. A very angry woman was shouting her head off at her husband by the staircase. She was clutching a bike with a death grip while he was lowering his head and gently trying to pacify her temper. The man wasn’t trying to take the bike from her but the way she was grabbing it begged the question, why? Was she just grounding her anger? Or was she finding the strength to pick it up and hurl it at him? Connection time! They are actually superheroes in their 60’s, retired, and the wife is about to show off some serious strength. The husband, having different powers, doesn’t want to be at the receiving end of that bicycle, so he tries the peaceful route. Connections! I was thinking of Kung Fu Hustle because the arguing couple looked like the super awesome aunty and uncle masters in the movie.
It’s not just about the idea but how you can weave ideas together with funky characters, settings, and more. That is also why I will repeat this advice every now and then: read widely! Consume media and literature like your life depends on it. The more you see, experience, read, talk about, etc, the more connections come naturally.
Homework: Brainstorm
- Make a list of all the places you have previously gained ideas from
- Harvest odd ideas you have witnessed or experienced
- Ask serious and silly questions
- Connect something mundane with something extraordinary
- Make up wild scenarios
- Add your dreams into the mix
- Meditate
- Have a cookie
NEXT:
Please look forward to the next post: 1-2 Allowing Inspiration