In a post on Writer Unboxed, Sarah Callender examines the hoary yet important question: where do ideas come from? A recent lecture on neuroscience gave Callender some ideas about how to fertilize her creative fields:
- Notice. When you’re out in the world, put down your phone and take time to notice your surroundings. Pay attention to the characters that cross your path, your settings, and the details. Ask why and what if? “Questions bubble up when we notice,” Callender says.
- Eavesdrop. Your editor’s favorite pastime! Listen to snippets of conversation and ask why and what if?
- Consort. When you feel stuck for ideas, read outside your comfort books. Switch genres, read poetry or non-fiction, or check out a play or screenplay. You’re very likely to find a creative spark or an interesting way to solve a story problem or write a description or dialogue.
- Follow. “Ideas happen when we follow the question,” Callender says. “When we pay attention to an itch. When we put ourselves in unfamiliar places. When we steal and reconfigure. When we read other writers’ literature, listen to others’ music, study others’ art.”
