AboutWilliam Sternman Expertise My short stories have been published in the U.S., England, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, South Africa, Japan, and Pakistan. My essays, movie and book reviews have appeared in the Houston Chronicle, Boston Herald, St. Petersburg Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Drummer, Films in Review. I took courses in creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania and copyediting at Temple University.
I am a young writer who dreams to have a career as a successful author. I've been told that I am good too. I love writing a story and telling it to people.
Unfortunately, at the rate I'm going at, I fear that my dream will not come true. You see, I cannot come up with a solid, original, unique idea. I have read and re-read many books, tried inspiration from my dreams and pictures, but all I come up with are scenes I would like to add to the story. The worst part is that whenever I do have an idea, I celebrate and say I have finally found it. Then the next day, I hate the idea and want to change it. Almost this whole summer I have tried to come up with an idea I would love to write about and continue with.
So my question to you is, how do writers come up with original ideas that captivate them and want to continue the story? Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Answer
If all you want to do is be a successful writer, I can't help you. I can only advise you on becoming the best writer you can be.
Don't worry about whether your idea is original or not. (There probably are not any orignal story ideas anyway.) Just write about something you know and care about. Something from your own life, perhaps. You are a unique person and no one can tell a story exactly as you can.
Don't discuss your ideas with anyone. That's just another way of getting praise, and once you do, your idea is of no importance to you anymore. Just write it down and don't worry about being successful or original.
If you can't think of anything to write a story about, just sit down at your keyboard and type anything that comes into your head. Don't judge these ideas, just type them. This can be a tedious process, but sooner or later an idea for a story will crystallize in your mind and you can take it from there.
If you really want to be a fiction writer, then write fiction, every single chance you get. Don't worry about what other people will think of it. Don't even worry whether you like it or not. Just write. You learn how to write the way a baby learns how to walk—she takes a step, then falls down, then she gets up and takes another step, and falls down again. Eventually, she is walking without falling down. Then she must learn how to run. And so on.
You may hate your first story, but think of it as your first baby step. Then take the next step. And the next.
It's a lonely, frustrating life, being a writer, but if that's what you REALLY want to do with your life, you'll persevere. But, if instead of being a writer, you just want to be KNOWN as a writer, you probably won't write anything worth reading.
