Most well-known authors agree that the most commonly asked question is, "Where do you get your ideas?" It is almost an impossible question to answer because everyone generates ideas for writing differently.
Ideas can come from just about anywhere; you just have to know where to look.
Most beginning writers don't realize that fodder for stories are located almost everywhere you turn.
So start opening your eyes on a day-to-day basis and keep a look-out for ideas that you might otherwise have missed.
How to Generate Ideas: Television Most people watch TV, regardless of the type of programming.
You can get ideas for creative writing on any show at any time of the day.
Sitcoms, dramas, documentaries and the news can all get the creative juices flowing.
For example, I once was contracted to ghostwrite a book about a sex crimes assistant district attorney who was stumped by a strange case of rape and incest.
Sound strange? My client got the idea from watching Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
He loved the show, and wanted to mirror some of the problems faced in their episodes.
How to Generate Ideas: Tabloids If you are interested in the unknown or unexplainable, the tabloids are an excellent source of creative material.
From UFO sightings to children born with three heads, you might be able to craft a mystery or suspense story around one of the articles you read.
Even if they are written by crackpots and loony tunes (I didn't say that), you can still use it for fiction.
How to Generate Ideas: People The people around you on a daily basis can give you great ideas for creative writing.
For example, when your friend comes to you with a problem or your colleagues talk about what they did last weekend, you can use their experiences as creative material.
Not only that, but they can also be convenient templates for characters.
How to Generate Ideas: Exaggerations They say that truth is stranger than fiction, but not always.
Take a seemingly mundane experience, soup it up and create a fiction plot.
Often, you can exaggerate a true story just enough so that it makes a captivating story.
Or, if your life really is stranger than fiction, you can always tone it down a few notches to make it believable.
How to Generate Ideas: Your Life Believe it or not, your own life experiences can make great fodder for stories.
The trials and tribulations that plague all of us on a daily basis can translate into plots.
Take a look at your life and pick out a few memorable experiences, then tweak the details into a riveting novel.