How to Find Ideas for Creative Writing

by tinacollins

Writing is half the battle; the other half is made up of coming up with an idea for your article/story/novel/squidoo lens/wizzley page. Here's a few tips on how you can do that!

As a writer or any kind of artist for that matter, we all have weaknesses. Working out and through those weaknesses can be made easier with just a little additional help. Finding ideas for stories and articles can be just one of many so I've put together a few suggestions as to how you can overcome this particular difficulty.

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Why Can't I Come up with Ideas?

Reasons for a writer's block

My difficulty has always been the inability to come up with ideas which I feel confident enough to use in a story or a novel.

No matter how hard I try I am unable to formulate a plot or even a character.

Could this be the reason why I have written so few stories and no novels?

Ideas or storylines can be given to me, but I am unable to take the idea further in my head. I am not sure whether this is a lack of confidence or experience or because my train of thought appears to be different to others.

Creative Writing - Ideas...

...& Inspiration

Ideas for Articles/Wizzley

Where to find them

Every Writer has a Weakness

Some find it difficult to write descriptions...

As a writer it is important to recognise your weakness. This could be PR, writing descriptions, plot ideas and so on.

In order to recognise these weaknesses, you must write as much as you can. Identifying those will help you become a better writer. For example, I have recognised a few weaknesses in myself. They are:

  • Unable to come up with a story idea.
  • Unable to write good or adequate descriptions.
  • Unable to work with the use of constructive feedback by other writers.

There are very few writers who do not have a problem in some area in the craft of writing. Maybe they need to be extremely disciplined in the act of writing. Perhaps they require a rigid timetable to stick to in order to produce a body of work such as a story.

Others find writing good descriptions hard. This could be that they can see in their heads what they want to describe but are unable to or find it difficult to express what they see in words.

How to Combat your Weaknesses

Turn them into strengths

There are several things you can do to help turn your writing weaknesses into strengths. You can:

  1. Practice, practice, practice! Keep writing! Do not give up just because you find it hard or difficult. It may never be a true strength but it can and will improve in time.
  2. Recognise that you are human and that you have weaknesses. Try not to reflect too much on them; also focus on your strengths, too.
  3. Listen to feedback and constructive criticism.
  4. Learn more about your particular weakness. For example, if you find descriptions difficult, then learn more about how to write good descriptions.

Ideas for Short Stories

Where to find them
Updated: 12/09/2023, tinacollins
 
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DerdriuMarriner on 02/29/2024

This wizzley is such a helpful resource.

The first through the third sentences to the first subheading, Why can't I come up with ideas?, considers that "My difficulty has always been the inability to come up with ideas which I feel confident enough to use in a story or a novel. No matter how hard I try I am unable to formulate a plot or even a character. Could this be the reason why I have written so few stories and no novels?"

Might it be possible for you to write some stories that then can be united into a novel?

In a way, the aforementioned technique would describe something like One thousand and one nights, wouldn't you think?

DerdriuMarriner on 12/09/2023

The first sentence in your introduction defers to writer weaknesses.

Does it perhaps not seem more optimistic, more realistic, more upbeat to first identify known strengths?

tinacollins on 05/22/2013

Thanks, I hope it helps you; will be updating it soon!

katiem2 on 05/21/2013

Nice ideas, I will be back to review this and put it into practice.

fanfreluche on 01/22/2012

I usually have ideas, but I lack time. i also often have the bad idea to write about stuff that don't do well (but I loke the topic). I need, as AJ, to try and do more writing with income in mind.

AJ on 01/17/2012

I need to come back and study this page very hard. One of the things I want to do in 2012 is find a balance between writing for the love of writing and writing for income. I would rather do the former, but life dictates that the latter has to take priority :(

pkmcr on 01/07/2012

This is a really usefyul resource for anyone looking for inspiration

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