My least favorite part.

Once I have some basic idea of the characters and the plot, I’m all ready to go. It seems, though, that I can’t think of any new, original ideas anymore. I have this fragment floating around in my head about a necromancer who’s supposed to bring around the apocalypse (or something like it, I guess), but nothing more than that.

I know that ideas have to be your own, but how do you get them?

I am in need of inspiration.

I’ve never had problems with this, as I think plotting stories (even though most of them never end up written) is really fun. I don’t think I’ve ever thought “I need an idea, what could I write about?” because there’s just so much out there that gives me random inspiration. Most of it ends up either being accidental plagiarism (in which I run with something for at least a week before I realize most of it already exists) or cliched garbage, but a lot of the things I invent I can move into other, more original plots. Basically, even ideas that can’t stand alone can be beneficial in some way.

Really though, lots of great stories can be boiled down into the same old archetypes. It’s how the author makes them unique, interesting, and appealing that makes literature good.

Just take a vague concept that interests you and think more about it.

Idea's come fairly easy, the harder part is writing them and sticking with one. That and making the more implausible one's semi-plausible.

Idea’s

one’s

ಠ益ಠ

But… they’re faster? :(

Just about any concept can be made to work if you execute properly. My favorite anime is about robot that use drills as weapons and run on manliness. Just write the subject with honesty and sincerity.

Conversely, having an awesome concept by no means guarantees a good story, which is a trap I think far too many aspiring authors fall into nowadays.

I’m pretty sure the Dr. McNinja brand of ninja could beat anybody, even armored knights. :)

Also, really? About the armor not slowing you down? I know that swords weren’t nearly as heavy as most people think they were, but I don’t know anything about armor.

Someone should write a trashy ninja romance novel.

I knew that there was something dangerous about him, and yet…I could not resist his super-ninja powers!

Twilight flashback

Urgh.

I’m usually deprived of appropriate ideas and inspiration for stories, poems, artwork, etc. It’s a miracle that I actually come up with anything.

No idea how ideas come to me. Dunno how my main fantasy idea first came over 3 years ago. I very rarely write it but sometimes I think about it and new ideas occur to me somehow and the story develops more. It's possible a lot of "inspiration" comes from The Legend of Zelda series since many could probably instantly see the similarities even though I dont believe Zelda affected me at all. Pretty sure I wouldve thought of these ideas if I didnt know anything about Zelda and they're different enough. I'm annoyed because coincidentally the newest Zelda being made for Wii seems to once again have very obvious similarities. I'm not a plagiarizer!!1

But I know exactly how the other main story idea I wanted to write came about. It all started with a friend asking me to tell her a story, so I did. It was short and stupid and was pretty much just about how awesome I am. But I realised that if I expanded on it a lot more and made it not as stupid it would make a great parody novel of the sci-fi genre and other things. And because it's a parody I thought the more cliched it is and the more it rips off the better. I then decided to try to fit in as many TV Tropes as possible that would work for the story I wanted to tell and name every chapter after the trope that is featured most predominantly in the chapter.

But yeah I dunno if I can help you.

I also have trouble with ideas, except currently I several, which is really unusual for me. So instead of getting ideas I’ve had more trouble choosing an idea.

Anyway, this is kind of going off what Steph said (which was really good advice). I’ve heard that people watching helps with ideas. Like, that guy over there is in a black hoodie, with the hood pulled up. Why is the hood pulled? Is he hiding something? What if he started following me? Maybe he’s a serial killer or a an alien, or a cyborg from the future (Arnold did say he’d be back).

Or, look at that woman. Her make-up is all smudged, and her mascara is kind of running. Maybe she’s been crying. Why was she crying? Maybe someone died or her boyfriend broke-up with her. Maybe she’s just got horrible allergies that make her eyes water. Maybe she was hospitalized for these allergies as a child. Maybe she’s developed a horrible disease that is airborne and may spread to the rest of the human race, killing everyone.

Or that kid over there. He’s throwing a tantrum. Why is he throwing a tantrum? Is he just a brat? Maybe he’s being kidnapped, but nobody’s paying attention because there are tons of kids who throw tantrums in the supermarket. Maybe he’s been missing for years, or maybe he’s being snatched from the store by human traffickers.

Etc. etc.

Going along with what Steph and NP said, usually ideas don’t pop fully-formed into your head. For me, I don’t even get basic outlines, like “girl with plant powers fights evil genius with fire powers for humanity”. I tend to get snippets of scenes, feelings I want to put into words, characters, or even just characteristics of a person. You have to take the responsibility to develop that snippet into an actual story—who is this character? Where and why is this scene taking place? What would make someone feel this way?

A series of short stories I was working on before came out of a snippet of an idea that came to me: a series of short stories all including the same thing. That was it. From there, I had to develop it further. I determined that the stories would all be connected, although perhaps it wouldn’t be evident at first, and would take place in the same place with connected characters, although not at the same time. The “thing” common to all the stories became a bridge. At this point, I still didn’t know the significance of the bridge or where it was, but I had the basic idea: a bunch of stories all involving a special bridge that would be developed throughout the stories, which would be out-of-order chronologically. Over more time, I developed the bridge’s setting into a small town in a fantasy world with supernatural beings, and the bridge became the holding cell/prison for a fairy who, hundreds of years before, had committed some terrible acts against humanity, and in punishment was bound to the bridge forever, and so on. But it all came from one simple thought: what if I wrote a bunch of short stories with a common theme?

I get little scenes in my head. Which is lovely, but then I have to write a story around a scene.

For example, the novel I have yet to write is one mass of little scenes that have been swimming in my head for four almost five years. It started with one scene. Then a healing scene. Then a chase scene. Then a fight scene. And more and more until I have this entire planned-out fantasy world, with it’s own geography, at least two main religions in the country I’m in, plus a few more in the other countries, a history that goes back to hunter-gatherer stage, a detailed magic system, and an evolving cast of characters in a planned quartet with plot arcs spanning two books or more.

Unfortunately, I still have to write it out, but I keep scrapping it because it’s not good enough. I’ve had these movies in my head since I was twelve, and it’s very difficult to convert that into words, especially since I love the world-building so much and almost don’t want to ruin it by my words.

I’ve basically resigned myself to writing smaller stories, keeping my major plots in my head until I become a good enough writer to do them justice.

Same here. I’ve made more headway on fanfics than I ever have on my actual writing, for the exact same reason as you.

Ok, this is my THIRD TRY at posting my comment. Stupid page keeps logging itself out.

My ideas are generally courtesy of ADD. I only have ever had one good idea for an original fantasy world. I am posting it in hidden text because I am paranoid about guests seeing it. The idea came to me during a dull moment in choir. We were singing a piece titled And God Gave Music, and it hit me…

So yeah…

These are all really good ideas—everything’s appreciated.
I have characters, but no plot. Maybe I’ll try the short story thing if I ever stop being a lazy slob find myself with some free time.

If you’re a daydreamer or dreamer like me, you could write a story out of a dream/daydream.

Quite true. That short story about books I wrote was born of a daydream.

@WW

I kind of agree with arska... but it's your story do whatever you like. When I first read your idea I also decided to figure our what instruments should be what element and I chose the same ones as arska because I too think they make sense musically. Well the only one that might not exactly fit is strings for water. Well ok maybe horns for fire isnt the best either.... meh.

Life? Like ki?
Don’t take my word for it, I have no idea what I’m talking about.

Say you have an idea, but you don’t think you can do it justice. Would you wait until your writing improved, or simply tackle it and revise it as necessary?

@Brink

Life? Like ki?

Life, like a movie reference.

I agree with NP. Of course, you would want to write down every detail you have of the awesome idea. Which means, at least with me, that I end up trying to write the awesome story regardless of whether I am going to just save it for later.