Creative Writing: A Technique to Generate Writing Ideas

Like many writers, whether you are a student or experienced writer, generating ideas is not always easy.  Most of us want to create vivid and realistic images for our reader’s enjoyment.  There is one technique that you will find helpful when attempting to generate story plots, themes, unique characters, and vivid environmental story detail.  A great place to begin is to “go where there are people congregated.”  This can be the mall, coffee shop, book store, bus station, train station, threatre, sporting event or any other place where people meet.  Try to position yourself in a central location in order to view and record your surroundings.  To record the events of your surroundings, you need only your favorite writing instrument and a legal pad.  The following is a list of observations that will later be stitched together to help create story ideas.

1. People; observing people is not only fascinating but also educational.  Each individual represents a unique story line, a story theme, and a plot.  Begin by selecting a person of interest and begin by writing just one word on your legal pad that best describes this person.  It could be “colorful,” ”bold,” “pensive,” or whatever word you would use to describe this person.  Next, write a second word to descirbe this person and “string it” to the first.  For example, you could write, “pensive eyes,” or “colorful clothing” or “bold posture.”  Next, write a third word and “string it” to the previous two words.  For example, you could write, “Pensive blue eyes,” or “colorful wool clothing,” or “upright bold posture.”  I think you are beginning to get the idea of how to start with just one word and “string it” to another, until you are satisfied that you have adequately described and fully developed your thoughts.  There are literally hundreds of observations that you can make about people and then use the technique outlined above to develop your thoughts. 
2. Environment:  The same technique can be used to develop your story environment.  Let’s begin by finding something within your environment that is interesting and unique.  Windows are great descriptive pieces for your environment.  For example, write the word, “reflection,” on your legal pad.  Now, use the technique developed in “people” to “string it” to a second word.  Next, write “children’s reflection”.  Next, write a third word and “string it” to the previous two words.  For example, you could write, “passing children’s reflection.”  Describing detail in your environment is a great way to keep the reader’s interest.  For example, let’s say that you are sitting in an old and disorganized office.  You want to begin to describe the setting.  Look for small details like, the desk drawers were missing handles, or a small portable heater was sitting on a stack of magazines.  You don’t expect to see drawers with handles or a portable heater sitting on a stack of flamable magazines.  It creates visual interest and questions for the reader. 

Now, let’s stitch this all together and see if we can create a vivid and interesting few lines for our readers.  It may read something like this:  A tall man, well dressed, wearing “colorful wool clothing,” looked at me with “pensive blue eyes.”  As we briefly exchanged glances, a young professional model appeared with an “upright bold posture” in a designer’s shop window.  Behind me, children in Christmas constumes gathered to sing as I watched the “passing children’s relection” in the shop’s window.  There are hundreds of combinations and sentence structures that you can create with just a few “strings.”  Good luck and have fun writing your next story.