Arlo Guthrie and story ideas

Haggis · Oct 25, 2007

So, I went to this Arlo Guthrie concert last night...

What? You don't know who Arlo Guthrie is?

*sigh* Kids!

Okay, Arlo, the son of Woody Guthrie, is a singer/songwriter who was popular in the 60s.

*sigh* Don't know Woody either, huh? Okay, surely you remember the song Alice's Restaurant. No?

*sigh*

Anyhow, Arlo talked about songwriting. He said coming up with a song was similar to fishing. You just sit there by the river waiting for a song to swim by, and when it does, you grab it and hope it's a keeper.

As I see it, writing stories is pretty much the same. Ideas seem to come out of nowhere, and sometimes from the most unexpected places.

I'll give you one of mine. Several years ago, I was standing outside my office having a smoke. When I looked across the street, I saw this older model, tan sedan parked by one of the apartments. I got to wondering who might have been driving it, and what he or she might be doing in the apartment building. The answer came to me quickly. Collecting souls. By the time I had finished the cigarette, I had a fully formed character and most of the plot. Thus was born my first angel-of-death story.

I'm curious to see how your mind works. How do you get into a story? Do specific incidents or circumstances trigger ideas, or is it some other kind of magic?

Calla Lily · Oct 25, 2007

You don't want to see inside my mind, Haggis.

BWHAHAHAHA!

The evolution of my horror book was obvious: reared on Hammer films + Catholic school + the nunnery. Mix 'em all together, simmer for a few years, and ding!

The mystery was the result of an agent rejecting the horror but suggesting I write about an ex-nun fighting crime. Initially I dismissed it, thinking, "I write horror." But it percolated in the back of my mind for several months and now I'm on chapter 20.

Then there's all the HP Lovecraft I read...and reread...and reread...

And did I tell you I used to pretend my Barbies were the subjects of Dr. Frankenstein-like experiments? And that Ken sometimes led a double life as a vampire? When he wasn't taking Barbie out to the prom. I *am* a girl, after all.

(Barbies play a rather psychotic role in the mystery, BTW.)

Told ya not to ask.

Meerkat · Oct 25, 2007

Instantaneous, unlikely combinations of things or people. In the "picture worth a thousand words" thread earlier today, I suddenly had an image of you, Haggis, misinterpreting one of the images. Not exactly publishable, but an idea nonetheless....

Haggis · Oct 25, 2007

callalily61 said:
You don't want to see inside my mind, Haggis.

BWHAHAHAHA!

But I just bought this neat cranial saw...

callalily61 said:
The evolution of my horror book was obvious: reared on Hammer films + Catholic school + the nunnery. Mix 'em all together, simmer for a few years, and ding!

The mystery was the result of an agent rejecting the horror but suggesting I write about an ex-nun fighting crime. Initially I dismissed it, thinking, "I write horror." But it percolated in the back of my mind for several months and now I'm on chapter 20.

Then there's all the HP Lovecraft I read...and reread...and reread...

And did I tell you I used to pretend my Barbies were the subjects of Dr. Frankenstein-like experiments? And that Ken sometimes led a double life as a vampire? When he wasn't taking Barbie out to the prom. I *am* a girl, after all.

(Barbies play a rather psychotic role in the mystery, BTW.)

Told ya not to ask.

Great examples, Cala. I've always suspected that Catholic schools hade a significant impact on the horror genre.

And dolls are scary too. Just like clowns.

donroc · Oct 25, 2007

I don't wait for the "fish" to swim by. Ideas come to me unexpected most of the time, and once from an experience.

www.donaldmichaelplatt.com

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 25, 2007

I dont want a pickle, just want to ride my motorcikle, and I don't want to die, just want to ride on my motor-cy--cle.

Any way, my ideas come via magic. They just mysteriously appear in my head without rhyme or reason. Could be an external trigger, could be not. I fear to investigate it. I'm reminded of the story of this golfer back in the 20s. Greatest golfer that ever lived, so the story goes, kicked everyone's butt on the tour. Was totally unstoppable. Then someone said, "Why don't you write on book on golfing? You must be an expert at it. Explain how it's done."

So he started to write the book. Started to analyze how he did it. Analyzed his swing. And then suddenly, he lost it. Because he started analyzing, because he THOUGHT about it, he could no longer do it. And that golfer, once the greatest whoever played the game, faded into obscurity.

So I don't want to analyze. I just want to do.

Haggis · Oct 25, 2007

Meerkat said:
Instantaneous, unlikely combinations of things or people.

Yep. That does it for me too.

donroc said:
I don't wait for the "fish" to swim by. Ideas come to me unexpected most of the time, and once from an experience.

Well, I'm a fisherman. And believe me, when I catch a fish, it's unexpected too. So I think what you're saying is what Arlo was talking about.

And I so agree with you about them being unexpected.

Shadow_Ferret said:
Any way, my ideas come via magic. They just mysteriously appear in my head without rhyme or reason. Could be an external trigger, could be not. I fear to investigate it.

And that's one vote for magic. An equally good answer.

But what if the idea well is dry and there has been no inspiration? Is it possible to actively come up with an idea rather than passively?

davids · Oct 25, 2007

When the idea well is dry sit down and write a sentence. It matters not if good bad or ugly, any sentence, the first thought as you sit down. Christ the well is dry and I have not got a clue-there that is a sentence and I would be willing to bet that a great many of the fine writers here could at least make a compelling, interesting short or long with that first sentence. At any rate it gets ya going-I KNOW OF WHAT I SPEAKIFICATE-TRUST THE ALL KNOWING AND WISEICAL LOBSTER-WRITE AND IT WIL CU-ER-COME-Luv Dave!!!!

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 25, 2007

Haggis said:
But what if the idea well is dry and there has been no inspiration? Is it possible to actively come up with an idea rather than passively?

That's a great question. I hope I never run into that situation.

However, I do actively come up with ideas for non-fiction, such as my blog. So anything is possible, I guess. Instead of writing my opinion on something, I'll have to incorporate it.

Such as that new medical device they are making that will cause people to have "out-of-body" experiences. I have that thought tumbling around in my brain for a fiction piece.

MidnightMuse · Oct 25, 2007

Well, usually story ideas for me are sudden epiphanies. But this one, my WIP, came from me sitting somewhere - probably here at work - trying to suss out the TECHNICAL aspects of time travel, then suddenly it hit me.

Yanno, the solution, and all. And a story burst from my chest, splattered onto the screen, and after reading the entrails I found the plot for my WIP. And some tuna I ate last week.

Haggis · Oct 25, 2007

*Takes notes*

Unlike many of you, I do not write every day. I tend to be more of a weekend writer, with occasional nights thrown in. I'm guessing that someone who keeps up an active blog or journal in addition to a regular daily output is less apt to run out of ideas than someone like me. So maybe I ought to try Dave's idea about writing something--anything.

In the past, I have programmed myself to come up with ideas during that twilight time just before falling asleep. It doesn't always work, but it has resulted in several pretty good story ideas. I even sold one of them. Heh. But that's still more passive than I'd like it to be.

I think I may have to give that 'entrails' idea a go too.

MidnightMuse · Oct 25, 2007

I'd love to reprogram you, Haggis :e2brows:

Haggis · Oct 25, 2007

MidnightMuse said:
I'd love to reprogram you, Haggis

I don't know, Muse. I'm pretty old. You know any BASIC?

MidnightMuse · Oct 25, 2007

I find both this :guns:

This

And this

to be pretty Basic.

Haggis · Oct 25, 2007

MidnightMuse said:
I find both this This And this to be pretty Basic.

Off topic! Hostile! Threatening!

Mods!

Oh.

Wait...

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 25, 2007

Suddenly this thread has become decidely uncomfortable.

Calla Lily · Oct 25, 2007

Actually, I'm getting some new ideas every time I open it. [makes note about the use of whips and boxing gloves in the next mystery. And chihuahuas.]

johnnysannie · Oct 25, 2007

Haggis said:
So, I went to this Arlo Guthrie concert last night...

What? You don't know who Arlo Guthrie is?

Of course I do....at least there are a few other adults here

*sigh* Kids!

Okay, Arlo, the son of Woody Guthrie, is a singer/songwriter who was popular in the 60s.
And the 1950's and he wrote "This Land Is Your Land", "This Train" and a lot of other great folk songs....

*sigh* Don't know Woody either, huh? Okay, surely you remember the song Alice's Let's not forget Arlo's cut of "City of New Orleans" in the 80'sRestaurant. No?

*sigh*

Anyhow, Arlo talked about songwriting. He said coming up with a song was similar to fishing. You just sit there by the river waiting for a song to swim by, and when it does, you grab it and hope it's a keeper.

As I see it, writing stories is pretty much the same. Ideas seem to come out of nowhere, and sometimes from the most unexpected places.

Yes, they do!

I'll give you one of mine. Several years ago, I was standing outside my office having a smoke. When I looked across the street, I saw this older model, tan sedan parked by one of the apartments. I got to wondering who might have been driving it, and what he or she might be doing in the apartment building. The answer came to me quickly. Collecting souls. By the time I had finished the cigarette, I had a fully formed character and most of the plot. Thus was born my first angel-of-death story.

I'm curious to see how your mind works. How do you get into a story? Do specific incidents or circumstances trigger ideas, or is it some other kind of magic?

Here's one of mine - my mother has this old mirror that someone painted a scene on, a lovely rural scene with a lake and a cabin. One day I was looking at that mirror and thought how nice it would be if I could visit that lake. My story based on that stray thought is in the current Coyote Wild, found here:
http://coyotewildmag.com/autumn2007/mirror_murphy.html

Haggis · Oct 25, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
Suddenly this thread has become decidely uncomfortable.

My fault, Ferret. I'm always stealing my threads.

callalily61 said:
Actually, I'm getting some new ideas every time I open it. [makes note about the use of whips and boxing gloves in the next mystery. And chihuahuas.]

No joke. I really did get an idea once from some back-and-forth kidding on this forum. Turned it into a story. Whatever works, huh?

MidnightMuse · Oct 25, 2007

But have you ever come up with an idea that was really wild and fantastic, THEN asked yourself a while later "What on earth made me think of this?" I look back on a few stories I've written, and wonder - because people ask things like this - where I ever came up with that idea.

That's why I figure they 'just come'.

NeuroFizz · Oct 25, 2007

I bet some Alice B. Toklas brownies got the ideas flowing for Arlo. Arlo and Woody are great characters in folk (and derivative) music.

My idea for the next one out (Agnes Hahn, August 2008) came from the nature/nuture revealer--identical twins share genetics but have different (but similar) fingerprints.

Haggis · Oct 25, 2007

All those remind me of daydreams. I do that. Kinda just gaze out the window and zone out. Weird things come to mind. Fizz's is a little different, I suppose, but scientists zone out on stuff that the rest of us don't.

Do writers tend to be daydreamers? I sort of think so.

Calla Lily · Oct 26, 2007

Haggis said:
Do writers tend to be daydreamers? I sort of think so.

I've daydreamed all my life.

HorrorWriter · Oct 26, 2007

Haggis,
I have ideas pop into my mind while driving, reading, watching television. It happens anywhere, anytime, usually because of some type of trigger. It's fun when it happens. Most writers live for the "what ifs".

zahra · Oct 26, 2007

Ideas, blimey. Pesky little things, aren't they?

Anything, anywhere.

I saw a documentary about the East London Huguenot silk merchants, and got an idea. I saw another about the killer fog of 1952, and pow! another idea. I saw a horror film about death and fate and thought, 'What if I went one further...?'

I've had ideas for characters from pictures and stories from snippets of conversations. But I think I get most stuff from current events and documentaries, which is worrying when you're writing horror....

Arlo Guthrie and story ideas

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