Oddest/unusual ways for generating ideas and inspiration?

I like to use the random number feature on the Excel spreadsheet. I create two lists of things, say types of characters or other variables. Then I number each item in both lists, and generate two random numbers. The randomly selected item from list one is now linked with a randomly selected item from the second list. If I absolutely cannot come up with something motivating from that, I just generate two more numbers and so on for more combinations.

In retrospect, that all sounds pretty darned nerdy, but it works well for me.

They just come to me (no way of triggering this. I might be on the crapper, about to go to sleep, watch and old lady read the same tomato can for the 20th time, or..)
Or I steal. "This is a good character" and I write them down, make them my own and keep them to the side.

I collect all my ideas on note cards and when I need something, I flip through them.

Tarot cards are an established but rather niche method of generating story ideas. Personally I like to hang out in a bookstore or library, look at titles of books I'm not familiar with, and try to guess what story might be inside the cover.

I don't know about "unusual", but I find wandering around unfamiliar areas of the city can be helpful.

Mine come out of nowhere, but only when I'm doing something else. Like watching Xena, Warrior Princess and BOOM! something in the background will make me think of something and I jump up to write it down. This rarely happens with an audience, but I have scared people who've thought I've just seen a giant bug of some kind. Most times I just jerk to a halt, drop what I'm doing, and run to to find some paper and a pen. But I have been known to make a rather loud noise, not unlike a gasp or an "OH MY GOSH!"

Last time I was listening to music. Startled the cat.

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Not sure this is unusual, but meditation and dish washing are the two favorite times for ideas to tap on my shoulder.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

They come whenever, but they're most vivid when I turn out the lights and stare into the abyss.

Learning new things also seems to engender story ideas.

Neither of those are terribly interesting or unusual.

Then, of course, there's extispicy.

My small ideas just come from talking to people, reading, watching things around me. Nothing really unusual, I'm afraid.

I always get ideas whilst traveling and visiting historic sites or museums. But on a day-to-day basis, usually they come either when I'm doing something that requires zero brain power (taking a walk, doing dishes, etc) or when I listen to music and close my eyes on the train to work (especially with the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack or the War of 1812 classical piece).

The oddest one was definitely looking at a migrant logger display at the Washington State History Museum! (That idea actually set in motion the world I now use in my current WIP, four years later )

Ideas often come out of my fingers. Hah, what I mean is, sometimes when typing or writing, especially in conversation with other people, ideas come out. The act of putting words down seems to make them form. So I've got great ideas from conversations on Twitter and Live Journal. Not even brainstorming as such, just wittering on about writerly stuff, having fun.

And again, more ideas pile up on those ideas when I write or type about them. Ideas generate ideas.

And just from everywhere really. And intriguing news story. A small incident I see between other people. Or just from nowhere when I'm washing the dishes, taking a bath or shower (water is key!), snoozing in bed, or sitting musing in a coffee shop in the approved writerly fashion.

About the only time they won't come is if I really really need to think of something and sit down to try and make an idea come. It might help me along a bit if I write and write until something comes through, but pressure doesn't usually help, it just blocks me. My brain needs to be all relaxed about it, and then the ideas come through.

I listen and observe. It doesn't matter how they come, if you're having trouble finding an idea you're likely not cut out to be a writer.

Jeff

Cheese before bedtime.

My favorite "Crap! I need an idea!" trigger is to play word association games. Mail, male, boy, stick, ball, round, orbit... eventually something will trigger, and it usually doesn't take long. I do this non-linearly in my head, though. If I write it out on paper, I get to focused on the game aspect and less on the 'opening my mind' aspect.

I also play a word-finding game on my phone, and it has a "clue" feature that highlights three random words from the game. It's hilarious how often this triggers a random snippet of an idea for me. Teen, Date, Hate might be a sample of the three words, and it's almost like they tell a story already.

Most of my ideas come pretty organically, though, either while I'm doing something unrelated to writing, or as soon as I see a call for submissions.

Oh that's easy. Make sure nothing's around to make notes with or on. Ideas will arrive in such numbers that all the oxygen will be used up and my head will explode.

I carry hundreds of pens and lots of notebooks because, see, I only have one head.

Goldenleaves said:

I carry hundreds of pens and lots of notebooks because, see, I only have one head.

Click to expand...

Yes, Always carry a pen and paper. I'm never ever without a writing utensil & paper and a tape recorder (via my phone), cause sometimes I'm driving and it's just not safe to write and drive at the same time. ^_^

I actually have these fluxograms floating around in my head where I form sequences of happenings and characters. Then I daydream, wondering what if I did X or Z. I sort of play with the options in my head.

Saves paper

Reply:

This isn't an inspiration for an idea. Its my inspiration to tighten up my writing. That is not use any uncessary words and get to the point. My inspiration is the mid 60s song by Archie Bell and the Drells. "Lets do the tighten up"