I've often been asked, "How do you come up with book ideas?" And for me, it's more of an overload of ideas. I have way too many. I don't suffer from Writer's Block, but I do suffer from Writer's Paralysis, where I know what I want to write but my self doubt makes it difficult for me to write those ideas. Writer's Block is a similar fear but often stifles creativity to the point when there are no ideas to be had.

Collecting story ideas is simple: I get them from virtually everywhere. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see that I often repost TikTok videos and caption them with Romance tropes, such as a video of a blacksmith putting on horseshoes on a horse, or a man responding to a video of two men, one helping the other remove his soaked shirt after a workout. There are ideas in the workforce, at a supermarket, in an office setting, at the opera, especially in Romance. 

Ideas often come from just going about my day. I love to watch the news in the morning and some stories come from a segment on a morning show. I love social media. TikTok is a font of ideas for all writers. I write Romance, Romantic Suspense, RomComs, so there's always a bevy of stories. I'm on gym TikTok and you have no idea how much fodder those snippets of gym life can be for a Romance author—from a sweet meet-cute to a meet-hate (when the characters don't like each other at first sight or because of a long term acquaintanceship but later fall in love). I love writing meet-hates that'll lead to true love. I once attempted to write short stories for Missed Connections on Craigslist—I may revisit those. Those are great for writing prompts.

My issue is having the time to write a 50,000 to 100,000 word novel. It's easy to come up with the beginning, the hopeful meet-cute. And the end, in Romance, writes itself. Romance requires a happily ever after. Please don't come at me with, "Actually..." because the convention says happily ever after. No death of the romantic lead. That's not a happy ending for the other party. Even when they're in their nineties, leave the reader with the hope they'll spend the rest of their lives together for infinity. But the middle is often muddled because we still don't know these characters, their goals, motivation, and conflict that brings them together.

I've often included personal family stories of dating, romance, marriage, and loss. I insert cultural references, wanting to explore my own ethnicity and sharing my experiences with others. Mostly, I want to write the stories I didn't have a chance to read when I was growing up. Self publishing offers writers an opportunity to share fiction that is often rejected by traditional publishers. Wattpad has given me license to create novels that are often hard to label and promote. When your writing is unrestricted, you continue to expand your imagination. One story idea begets another and becomes a cycle of development. 

My book ideas are stored in a note taking app. I create a new file in Scrivener and title it as Book Idea—[Insert Title or Keywords]. In a Scrivener file's research folder, I detail my idea by creating a log-line or summary or scene. I learned how to write a synopsis a year ago and that's been extremely helpful while crafting a book. When I begin writing the entire story, I rename the file Book Idea to Book—Title. The same can be done with a dedicated notebook or journal. Often, I'll write the first scene that comes to mind and let it marinade. The point is not to lose the kernel of an idea.

A couple of weeks ago, I forgot a concept. I was washing dishes and came up with a story but I didn't pause to take a note. I didn't call out to Siri to dictate and store the idea. I continued washing dishes, thinking... no, hoping I would remember it when I had a chance to dry my hands and write it down or type it out. And I forgot it but remembered I had "something." The idea could have been a million dollar novel, film, or both. I'm no longer a believer that if it were important, it'll come back to me. I'm gutted by the notion that I could have had the next story for my 30 day first draft (I'll write about the 30 day first draft in another post). That lost concept could have been my most successful book. Who knows? And no matter how much I try to recall the seed of the story, I still can't remember it.

Don't make my mistake. Take the time to document everything. Carry a notepad and pencil that you can use in the shower. Get a dictation app for your phone. Tell your kids and friends about your story and ask them to relay the concept when you're able to document it—kids are really good at retelling. When you have many story ideas, you'll be able to select one to write when you're ready to create a new book or short. 

How do you find and document your story ideas? Do you collect them until you're ready to write in the future or do you research and write immediately? What is your favorite method of gathering your next story? 

Happy Writing!

~Rosemary 

Thank you for reading my collection of writing essays. If you enjoy them, please vote, comment, and add this book to your reading list. Give me a follow so you can get updates when I publish a new essay. Most of all, I wish you the bet with your writing hobby or career.