Why Do People Ask, "Where Do You Get Your Ideas?"

Dear Stephen King

I think, "Where do you get your ideas?" is probably the most asked question people ask authors. I am not sure why. It is one of those questions that can't be answered easily. The answer, in my own mind, has to be: "It Depends."

Every writer has a different way of developing ideas for stories. Some get their ideas while in the shower, a time in their day when they have complete alone time and their mind can spend time thinking about stories. Some people keep a dream journal next to their bed where they write their ideas down when they awake with strange and ingenious dreams.

Most writers jot down ideas that are inspired by the experience of their days. If something happens to them or to someone around them, they will sometimes think, "What would happen if a different person were in this same situation, or if these people made a different choice, what would the consequences be? This is why most prolific writers carry a pocket journal with them. You never know when inspiration is going to strike.

I have started a universe bible for a series of more than 300 novels. I think that will keep me busy for most of my life. I have an overarching idea that connects all the stories, but as I have other ideas throughout my experience, the timeline is loose enough that I can insert new storylines. Because I have this set of rules for my universe, I can sit down and write more ideas as they come to me. I don't ever have a time when I don't have something to write about.

For those people who feel they need to ask the question, "Where do you get your ideas?" I think they should ponder why they are asking that question. Writers are writers because they always have a story to tell. Their idea stream never drys up. In fact there should be more ideas than they have time to write. I know I am going to be busy for the next 100 years, and that is only if I can churn out three novels per year, otherwise I might have to live to be several centuries old.

If you have a hard time coming up with a story idea, then maybe you are not a writer. Don't let that stop you from writing when you have the occasional idea though. If your having to search hard for the ideas, then just step back and look at other hobbies that you are more suited to do. It is not a bad thing. You just write when you have something to write about.

Here is to all those stories we have outlined in our pocket journals. May they all find a way to be written.
Robert T Gasperson

Brainstorming a Short Story

I have been trying a new way of outlining short stories. I wanted to see if it would make the process of writing any more efficient. The idea is simple. I find 7 points in the story I want to tell to get from the hook to the resolution. Each of these points are the beats and the movement of the story.

I then come up with seven points between each of those major beats. The idea is to decide how each of those beats will unfold. I try to keep the ideas to 7, but if need be, I can go longer.

So 7 beats times 7 points per beat means I will have 49 Steps in my story. If each of those steps are about 100-200 words each, then I will have a short story that is 5,000-10,000 words long. Not too shabby.

So Close to the Finish Line I Can Taste It

I am about a thousand words from the end of the short story I am writing, yet I don't want to sit down and finish writing it. I don't know what it is. It might be the fear of writing a bad ending. It might be the fear of having to send off the finished piece to see if I can get it published. It might be I don't want the story to end. Whatever the case, I still need to sit down and write the ending of this story.

Here is another problem that I come across when I am trying to finish a story. I find myself thinking about several other different projects I want to start instead of doing what I should be doing. I should be writing the end of my short story. Right now I am finding myself thinking about the month of November and what I want to write for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

I need to think about what must be written. I need tho think about how I am going to force myself to sit and write till it is done. I think I am going to have to carve out 2 hours of time with an egg timer set and the will to sit there till the two hours are up or I finish my short story.

Hmmm....

I think I am going to go make a sandwich.

Finish and Submit Something You've Already Written

After finishing and submitting the last two flash fiction pieces, I wanted to try something a little bit longer. I came across an anthology wanting short stories between 7,000 and 10,000 words. The theme they were exploring was fights. They wanted to read stories about battles, arguments and fights of all kinds.

I sat down and thought about it. I wanted to come up with something that would make a great addition to the Anthology. I took long walks with the dog thinking about it. I sat at the dining room table with my composition book and worked on a brainstorm tree, hoping something I wanted to write about would come out of it. Needless to day, I didn't find anything worth my while. There were a few good sparks, things that might develop into something later, but nothing that intrigued my passion right at this moment.

This morning, I was thinking about the challenge again, trying to figure out what I wanted to write, when the thought of a piece I was already working on; a piece I intended to turn into a novel popped into my head. What I was writing was a battle between two foes and what their battle was doing to my main character. The thing was, I was already planning to make this section of the novel independent. It was already going to be about 10,000 words. Now I have a reason to finish it and focus it to meet the requirements of the Anthology.

I wonder how many other pieces I can go back to and adjust them to fit what magazines and anthologies want to offer in their markets. Don't get me wrong, I still plant to write new pieces, but when something doesn't come to mind right off the bat, I should be able to find something else that I trunked or is still waiting to be sent out again.

2 Movies for Stephen King's "It" a Good Idea?

All the news today about Stephen King has been about the making of one of his earlier novels called "It" directed by Cary Fukunaga. The thing is, they are planning to split the movie into two parts. I am sitting here wondering if this is a good idea or not.

On the one hand there are enough Stephen King Fans out there, the movie will probably make enough money to make both movies. I know I am one of those people who will go out and pay the ridiculous amounts of money to see the films. I just hope they don't make it in 3D.

The story is long enough they will be able to fit it into two movies. I just wonder if it is necessary. Stephen King has problems with Movies and TV because he treats it like a novel. I spends so much time on the world and character building that he loses the short attention spans of people who would rather watch the film instead of reading a book-stop of a novel.

On the other hand I am not sure the story can be successfully split into two. There are so many things going on in this story. I guess they could split it into time periods. The first movie would be about the group as kids and how they all left town. Then the second movie could be about them coming back together as adults to face the one thing that changed their lives forever.

Needless to say, this is going to be a fun couple of films based on one of King's Masterpieces. It is going to be fun, scary and will remind us why we all hate clowns.

A Hand Drawn Stephen King Comic

I have decided to put together a comic to send to Mr. King. I don't know if he will appreciate it or not, but I will at least give it a try. I am kind of thinking about doing a piece of fan art that might get his attention. I want to do something like the people who made this independent film called, "You Can't Kill Stephen King."

They were able to write and shoot a fan film about the stories by Stephen King. Then they showed in at Film Festivals. Now they have the rights to sell the film, finally getting Mr. King's blessing. I want to do something similar. I don't care if he ever allows me to sell the comic. I just want him to see it and acknowledge it. Maybe even sending me a thank you letter or something.

I think I am going to stick to the 22 page format and make a self drawn, self bound comic book to send to the address he gets all of his fan mail. The hope is that his secretary will look at it, get a laugh and think Mr King might actually want to read it, passing it along to his inbox.

What is it going to be about? I want to write about me, a cartoon overly dramatized version of me trying to figure out unusual ways to meet Mr King without getting in trouble with the authorities. I might go back into my file where I take a road trip up the east coast to see his home town in Bangor Maine. I actually took that trip in 2003 as a vacation for 2 weeks. I got to visit some friends and family along the way. I stood outside the red mansion and took the Stephen King city tour. I never did see him, but it was a fun trip.