Having trouble coming up with a story idea?

Non-fiction writers have an advantage:  They write what they know, whether it be how to sew a quilt or how to survive a trauma or how to approach a job interview.

Fiction writers, on the other hand, must make up a plot and characters and, in some cases, even a whole world.

Where do the ideas come from?  Anywhere.  A historical or current event.  A real-life mystery.  A personal experience.  Observation of events affecting a friend or relative.  The words of a song, or just the music itself.  An overheard argument.

Even watching a bird fly might lead to a children’s story or an adult fairytale.

Inspiration from another author’s work is not plagiarism, as long as the other’s work is not copied.  But a story along similar lines, or based on a similar character or relationship or plot, or that takes very similar people and events in a new direction is perfectly valid.  After all, as it has been said many times, there are only so many plots and themes and all literature, no matter how innovative, falls into one or more of those categories.

The hard part for a writer may not be finding an idea for a story, but narrowing the field to just one.

And then, of course, actually sitting down and writing.

Is your head filled with scenarios that would make a good novel?

[Thanks to FreeImages.com/Musyahidah Zawawi for the featured image.]