What Do I Write About?

Once that all-compelling first story is on paper and out of your system, you may find yourself thinking: Now what? Can I do it again? What do I write about?

"Where do you get ideas?" is one of the most frequently-asked questions successful authors fend. The answers are myriad, as plentiful as the world swirling around you.

Ideas are born in reality and then taken to the next level by the question: What if? Writers look at an everyday situation and ask themselves, "What if the ending changed? What if the boy hadn't gone straight home? What if the guide dog suddenly attacked its master?

Some other tips to get the ideas flowing:

• Write the best, most intriguing first line you can think up. Then build a story around it. What comes next? My novel that is currently out on request to a top agent was formed from this simple exercise. I took a terrific first line penned by Christa Allen and wrote a first page, which won a "First-Page Contest." So many people asked me, "So what happened to the girl? Did she find her mother?" I stewed on it for awhile and the result was a 93,000 word novel which I hope finds a publisher soon.

• Dream up a crazy-sounding title for your book. Sometimes ideas come from great titles.

• Play word games. Make lists of nouns, verbs, adjectives and like the kids' game, match them up in all sorts of ways. The wordplay can spark ideas you wouldn't have had otherwise.

• People-watch. Great stories are built around great characters. And great characters are great because they're believable while being bigger-than-life. Pay close attention to the way the lady in the checkout line fiddles with her pocketbook when she's watching the total ring up. She's nervous, wondering if she has enough to pay for it. No one told you that. You could tell by her outward actions. Use that in your story to show a character's anxiety.

• Read-Read-Read! I'm surprised when I hear (usually a student) say, "I'm gonna write a book. I'm a good writer." When I ask what they like to read, they respond, "Oh, I don't read much, I just like to write." I have to smile. Someone is fooling himself. Much of good writing is learned. We learn by reading good writing. Reading teaches us what sounds right, how words flow together to provoke a feeling, a mood. Try to copy the style of an author you enjoy. I'm not talking plagiarism. Don't copy the words or phrases unique to that author. But try to imitate the style. You won't be able to do it, but the result might be a style of your own. It's what's called Voice.

Now, get out there and observe!