How I Come Up With Book Ideas

Coming up with ideas to write about can be hard sometimes, but usually, I have plenty of ideas. The problem, more often than not, is that none of my ideas are large enough to make up an entire novel.

Too many little ideas, as opposed to big, stable ideas, creates chaos in a creative’s mind, and that chaos can be hard to organize into a single book idea. So, here are some of my tips for getting inspired, and coming up with great book ideas:

 

1 | Listen to Music

Music is the best way to get inspired. Or at least, for me. There is something about the rhythm of instruments that evoke different emotions, and the flow of words or the beat can help me visualize scenes in a cinematic way. I find it easiest to come up with story ideas when listening to music in the car, in bed, or on a walk— anywhere where I’m not focusing on something else and can just chill a bit.

 

2 | Surround Yourself with Visuals

The is the second, most effective method for me. I love using the app We Heart It to create mood boards and graphics that inspire me. There’s so much creative photography on that site and being able to match a visual with my ideas is truly helpful.

 

3 | Read Lots of Books

When you read, you subconsciously learn and pick up on techniques and ideas that otherwise nullify over extended periods where you aren’t reading. I find that my writing vastly improves after reading an entire book, and it’s not because I’m inspired by another author’s story idea (I happen to be quite proud of my own, original content)— it’s the fact that my subconsciousness ate up a bunch of new words to try out and techniques to help strengthen particular scenes.

 

4 | Play Video Games

Video games can do wonders for inspiration because it’s kind of the whole package in one. Movies, television… they don’t really do it for me, because I tend to relax and just enjoy those things. But with video games, I’m actively involved in the story and dialogue, the graphics and fantastical worlds make my mind flutter with ideas, the music adds to the experience and overall, it just really brings me out of a writing slump. I know that if I spend a week straight playing Skyrim, I’ll be dying to write about quests by the end of it.

 

5 | Bonus Tip: Create Some Lists

I love myself some lists, and I keep about a dozen of them running at any one time. Whenever I get book ideas, I write them down in my phone because despite what I’d like to believe, I don’t remember them later. Jotting down little, random ideas that come to me gives me the ability to sit down later and play matchmaker with my ideas, forming a bigger, more tangible, book-length idea.

I know what you’re thinking: how could that ever work?

It really does work. Here’s a number of times where I’ve done it:

Example A | Lanterns in the Sky (The Starlight Chronicles #1)

My original ideas included:

• A princess made of stars.
• The stars in the night sky being lanterns
• A story about a girl named Lucy who had a younger sister named Kyra to protect.
• A super dark, twisty, urban-small-town story with magic.
• A historical story set in the past with castles and old, fancy talk.

When I merged all of these ideas, I created my book Lanterns in the Sky.

 

Example B | To Tame A Dragon Tamer

My original ideas included:

• A fairy-in-training who was interning as the assistant to a renowned Fairy Godmother, at a super shady wish granting agency. She has to earn her powers by granting wishes without magic. (this was originally a whole separate story idea)
• A young boy thirsting for adventure who wants to save a princess and start his hero career.
• A land separated by three sections: The Skylands (Dragon Tamer Territory), The Middlelands (Noble Territory), and the Groundlands (Peasant Territory).
• A princess being forced to marry a charming prince who secretly loves another princess but can’t tell her parents at the risk of being denounced.
• A series of dragon attacks as the Dragon Tamers lose control of their dragons, which sees the destruction of the Groundlands and forces the three characters to unite on a quest.

 

Example C | Sacred Waters

My original ideas included:

• Sirens & mermaids (based off of The Little Mermaid)
• The story of two twins living on a luxury, island resort (based off of an episode of the Kardashians).
• Waters that contain magic, linked to an underwater kingdom (based off some lore I read about).
• A love interest who is Undine and caused the death of the M/C’s best friend. (based off more lore I read about.)