Coming up with new story ideas is easy for some writers – they have trouble narrowing their ideas down to just one!

However, some writers have more trouble figuring out a good plot to go with their characters. For those who do, here are some tried and true tips:

• Ask “what if?” – look at any ordinary situation and imagine what would happen if …. What if the blind date that man is waiting for at the table next to yours turns out to be a psychopath — or his soulmate? What if that off-the-beaten-path trail leads to a murder scene? What if the train derails just as it pulls into the station?
• Finish this quote: _____ was not what it seemed. You can make an unlimited number of stories this way. The new neighbors were not what they seemed. The charming hotel was not what it seemed. The road trip was not what it seemed.
• Finish this quote as well: If only she/he hadn’t ______. This is another practically infinite prompt. If only he hadn’t taken that short cut. If only she hadn’t tried that new restaurant. If only they hadn’t decided to vacation here.
• Eavesdrop. This is always a great way to get story ideas. You hear the oddest things in a public location, and any one of them could turn into a great story for you.
• Reinvent a scene from a book or movie. Take an insignificant scene from a book or movie and imagine that as the opening scene for your story.
• Surf the net. Type a subject into your search engine and just start clicking anything that looks interesting. You’re bound to come up with something that stirs your imagination pretty quickly.
• Catch up with the news. Watch online or on TV, or read the newspaper. Something’s sure to catch your eye and trigger your emotions.

These aren’t all the ways a writer can come up with great story ideas, of course, but they’re ones that have always worked.

What are your tried and true idea generating ideas?

NaNoWriMo approaches, so here are some quick tips to get you started on those 50,000 words.

• Stretch your writing muscles: if you’re short of ideas, find one of those writing prompt websites (or my Twitter account) and start with some short bursts and flash fiction
• Write down your observations: carry a notebook with you everywhere, and write down everything you observe. You’ll soon find an idea!
• Find a time: figure out when you’re most creative, and try to write during that time.
• Write every day: that works out to 1,667 words per day. Not even a short story. You can do it!
• Don’t agonize over “getting it right”: just get the words down. Edit later.
• Remember that writing is fun: just play around with words, without worrying so much about writing the “Great American Novel.”

How many of you are going to participate this year?

Writing is a creative process. Most of the time, it’s just you and your brain, clicking away at that story. It’s not always easy to connect with that creativity, though. Here are some techniques to help you get back in touch with your creative side.

• Focus on the process. If you’re a “pantser,” try making an outline. If you normally start at the beginning and work straight through, try working on one scene that’s caught your interest, even if it’s near the end of the story. Shake things up by thinking about how you work instead of just working.
• Brainstorm. One of the best techniques to number your paper 1-100 and start jotting down ideas. You’ll have to start really working once you get somewhere around 50 – that’s where the creativity kicks in. Don’t give up — and don’t edit the ideas for silliness. Sometimes the silliest notions end up being your best ideas.
• Freewrite. This is where you set a time limit – usually 15-20 minutes – and just write. Don’t edit, don’t worry about spelling or grammar, and don’t worry if it makes sense. In freewriting, if you have a thought like “This is silly,” then you write “I’m thinking this is silly,” and keep writing. Freewriting gets your creative juices flowing and gets you into the habit of writing.
• Change your tools. If you must write in Microsoft Word on an iPad, try using a pencil and a notebook. Get your laptop and write in bed instead of using your desktop. Sometimes you get so hung up on using just the right pen or paper that you lose touch with your creativity. Change stimulates creativity.
• Make some crap. Give yourself permission to create lousy work. Perfectionism is one of creativity’s worst enemies.
• Set smaller goals. Instead of finishing that chapter, just work on one scene. Get five lines of dialogue down instead of the whole argument. Sometimes you’re just overwhelming yourself by setting goals that are too large.
• Fake it. Pretend you know exactly what you’re doing and just dive into your project. Remember that old saying: “Fake it until you make it.” Once you give up your fear of failing, your creativity can come up with some remarkable results. Just start writing and see where you end up.
• Constrain yourself. Try some new rules. Write only in ten-word sentences, or use no adjectives at all, or even write in all capital letters. Forcing yourself to come up with new ways to accomplish your task stimulates your creativity.
• Do the opposite. Try going at it ass-backwards instead. If you’re trying to show your character as a sweet, lovable guy, try letting him be a braggart instead. Write that scene as a dialogue instead of a description. Use the opposite of the word you thought you’d use and see what happens.
• Copy someone else. If all else fails, try jump-starting your creativity by copying an author you admire. You can take this literally and copy out the first chapter of your favorite novel, or you can write in the style of that author, or even use your own characters in a favorite scene. It’s only plagiarism if you try to claim it as your own!

What are your favorite creativity-boosting techniques?

Having trouble thinking of plots? Twisted around when it comes to twists? Here are some tips and tricks to help you solve your problems.

1. Brainstorm. This is the number one way I come up with plots. Just sit down and write out everything that comes to your mind about your topic. That’s everything. Doesn’t matter how off-the-wall it seems, or how boring. Write it down anyway. You’ll end up with a list of possibilities. Some of them will turn out to be worthless, but lots of them will pan out. You might end up with an idea for a scene, or for an entire novel. And the more ideas you come up with, the more your brain will toss out. It’s like exercising a muscle: use your creative mind and it’ll reward you with more creativity.
2. Ask questions. Go through your outline (or read through your plot if you’re a “pantser”) and ask yourself as many questions as you can. What if the villain finds out about the hero’s plan? What would I do in this situation? Why does the character make this decision? What would happen if the villain’s plot was discovered by a third character? Then, come up with answers to those questions. The more questions you have, the more plot ideas you’ll find to answer them with.
3. Wonder. One of the things that makes writers special is their curiosity. Give yours free rein. Surf the internet for new information. Ask people about their jobs or hobbies. Pick up a magazine about a subject unfamiliar to you, or browse a new section of your bookstore. The more information you have, the more plot ideas you can come up with.
4. Scheme. A great way to improve your plot is to plan ways to thwart your characters. Life is rough, and people don’t want to read about characters who get everything they want without a struggle. Throw roadblocks on the path to their goals. Complicate their lives. Make your characters miserable: it’ll make a more interesting plot.
5. Turn things around. Try outlining your plot from the point of view of your antagonist, or of a secondary character. This is also a good way to expose plot holes, such as having the villain be an evil genius until it’s time for the hero to defeat him, when he suddenly forgets how to think. Look at your book from another angle and you’ll find new plot twists to play with.

Get started with these ideas and you’ll probably come up with other ways to plot. Turn on your brain and let ‘er rip!

What is the most unusual way a plot has come to you?