Writing Ideas

Where do writing ideas come from? Who knows...
The important thing is that when you do have an idea --write it down! I keep a folder with all the ideas that pop into my head that I think I might want to later perhaps take a look at, maybe. Often, the seed of an idea grows into a stinkweed. Every idea is not a winner. It definitely helps to set an idea aside and let it percolate and gestate and...just ate.

Two ideas came to me this weekend that I think have potential for future writing projects. One is a picture book idea. I have tons of picture book ideas --most of them lousy. Not lousy at first, but lousier and lousier as I think about them. I'd love to get a picture book off the ground. The first time I attempted a picture book script, I thought it'd be easy. And it was! Of course, I ended up with a lousy picture book. That was about a year ago. I've since decided that picture book writing is NOT easy, and I'm still working at it.

The project I'm currently working on is from a "situational" idea. I envision a situation and start writing. For example: A kid dressed as a skunk grabs an orange from a market stall and hightails it with the stallkeeper in hot pursuit.

Is that really a writing idea? Why not?

You simply follow the scenario and see where it leads. Why is the kid dressed as a skunk? Why is he stealing an orange? Will he get caught? There are many questions right off the bat that demand answers. For me, the fun of writing is finding out the answers.

As I tap away at the keyboard, I get a general feel for what is going to happen in a story, but I never know for sure! The key (and the pleasure) is to keep tapping away.

And then re-write.

:-)