5 Sources of Novel Ideas That Have Never Let Me Down

#6 Sunday Snippet

by mika-baumeister, Unsplash

To date, I’ve written nine novels, many of them bestsellers, and two things I know for sure: (1) it all starts with a good idea and (2) a good idea can strike you from just about anywhere. And as Octavia Butler proved by writing her novels on buses during long commutes, when you’re motivated by the right idea you can write just about anytime, anywhere.

Here are some of my favorite sources for fiction ideas–

1. Personal memories and experiences — The most raw and authentic stories often emerge from our own lived experiences and the experiences of those around us, even when heavily fictionalized. I've found that mining personal emotional truths—like the real struggles that my closest friends and I endured while trying to find Mr. Right—adds depth to characters and situations that purely invented scenarios are hard-pressed to mimic. The novel born of our encounters back then was Sisters and Lovers, and it went on to sell more than 500,000+ copies.
   

2. Dreams and nightmares — The strange logic and powerful emotions of dreams can provide unique story structures and imagery that our conscious minds might never imagine. I keep a notebook by my bedside to capture fleeting dreams—like the recurring nightmare of getting lost in an old deserted house with mysterious locked rooms. Something like this was the genesis for subplots in my novel Chloe: A Novel of Secrets and Lies.
   

3. Special locations — There's something magical about standing in a place and feeling the stories it contains enveloping you, demanding to be told. That weather-worn Victorian mansion across the bay or the fog-shrouded harbor on the beach—both whispered plot possibilities to me when I took the time to visit and truly observe. They inspired the settings in Chloe, and I’m told the settings in the novel feel almost like additional characters.
   

4. Family stories and legends — Tales passed down through generations often contain powerful story elements because they've been naturally refined for maximum impact over years of retelling. My grandmother’s stories about our ancestors being slaves on the plantation of President James Madison haunted me for years and finally became the foundation for my third novel, A Long Way From Home. Those family tales provided an emotional core I could build upon in the historical novel.
   

5. Childhood and youthful experiences — Our early years are a rich tapestry of material that can become coming-of-age stories. Those tender, awkward, and formative years—with all the confusion, joy, anger, and enlightenment—can be drawn upon to create powerful emotional arcs.

   
   For me, growing up as a Black girl and then young woman in a middle-class neighborhood in Washington, DC in the 1960s and 70s meant coming of age amidst the backdrop of social and political upheaval. The assassinations of major political figures, the rise of Black power, the aftershocks of the civil rights movement, and the ongoing fight for gender equality—all of it shaped how my young eyes saw the world and my place in it. I didn’t realize it then, but I was living a story that would one day become a New York Times bestseller. I named it: Big Girls Don’t Cry.

Searching for a kick-ass idea for your novel? Or maybe you have an idea that needs to be refined and prepped for prime time. Don’t miss our five-week idea writing workshop, “From Spark to Story,” starting April 30. This five-week journey will transform your raw story idea into a fully developed novel concept that will engage readers and sustain your own creative energy through the long weeks and months of writing a novel. And once you learn the process, you can use it again and again on future ideas.

Read all about the upcoming workshop From Spark to Story here. I’m offering a subscription discount for annual subscribers during the weeks leading up to the workshop.