How to Get a Book Idea (when you have nothing)

A book idea doesn't have to be something you wait for until you strikes you magically--sometimes, you can create a book idea in just a few hours, and one that's developed enough to carry you through this year's NaNoWriMo!
RESOURCES:
-NaNoWriMo Playlist: • NaNoWriMo Prep
-Preptober: 16 Tips for Conquering NaNoWriMo: blog.reedsy.com/preptober/
-What Is NaNoWriMo: blog.reedsy.com/nanowrimo/
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
1:42 - Identify a starting point
2:10 - Search for inspiration
4:18 - Start brainstorming
5:14 - Keep working
6:25 - Develop concrete plot points
8:16 - Summary
FIND REEDSY HERE:
Blog: blog.reedsy.com
Facebook: / wearereedsy
Twitter: / reedsyhq
Instagram: / reedsy_hq
#nanowrimo #preptober

[@cwfcwfcwf]

I paused this video about 20 times to take notes. Thanks, Professor Shaelin. :)

[@Reedsy]

Happy it helped :)

[@jandlp14]

Wow noice 😂 I'm writing a book for fun #thingswedoforquarentine

[@Doktor0916]

Thank you so much! I’ve been looking for a story idea for like... 5 or more days? I’ve been looking all over the place for inspiration and I think this video has helped me progress some more. I think it’ll lead me somewhere! Thank you for making this video!

[@jimbinho175]

Really impressed with these clever techniques that you explain so well. Reading news stories, the visual approach to kick start some association and help a vague feeling grow. It's really good. Observing strangers in busy places (not common these days) and wondering about their possible 'plot' and backstory, watching obscure grainy black and white naturally occurring urban settings on youtube, etc. can also help. Great tips and great presentation. I taught students presentation skills for years and this kind of blew me away. I just watched a few celebrated novelists talk vaguely about motivation and clicked on this in a skeptical mood. Even if you have a sudden amazing idea, a visual, sensory and exploratory approach like you've outlined here can bring that seed to life and make sure it's given the best room to develop and become.

[@jibrijibri4548]

The news articles are such a helpful suggestion. Thank you!

[@cadencev5572]

This came just in time for NaNoWriMo 😂

[@Reedsy]

A coincidence? (I think not!)

[@SportsZone300]

@@Reedsy Disney fans be like…

[@80budokai]

Great video! Enjoy your Tuesday! 💯🙏🙌

[@SJHampton]

I have been wanting to write a book for years. As you were talking, the idea came to me and I wrote 7 sticky notes worth of ideas. Thank you!!

[@u_t_d_s_h-1_a]

I followed some of your ideas on writing a book quickly, it worked for the most part, I just finished a book.

[@jayjjxy05]

Thank you so much! This really helped!

[@miztenacioust1758]

Thank you for this!

[@xtonibx5770]

This was posted on the perfect day wtf I'm a highschool freshman and my school has a really good library and I like to read the summaries for some inspiration or ideas for character situations and types of characters. I'm currently reading The Graduate, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Old Man And The Sea, and The Catcher In The Rye. I've decided that I want my fictional piece to have something to do with a young person and their identity. That is very vague but I feel like there is something inside of me that I've been trying to dig out. This was very helpful. Thank you

[@theteacherpreneur]

This really helped. Thank you!

[@williamsmith5197]

Great video thanks Shaelin. I need all the help I can get I'm NANO again this year.

[@Reedsy]

Good luck with NaNo!

[@jongdonglu]

Thank you so much for this video! Its kind of weird I'm at the age of 26 now I have never been creative even as a kid, I have always been logical and good with tech and never get spontaneous ideas, but whilst watching this video I litterally had an idea pop into my head as you were laying out the process of idea generation. I do not know where this idea will lead me it may end up in the recycle bin, but now I have a good idea of how to form an idea(if that makes any sense at all) any time I want to give it ago! again thanks for making this video I will definitely watch more!

[@ninsophy9798]

ey mate! Just checking, how's you idea going?

[@jongdonglu]

@@ninsophy9798 Ey mate, unfortunately i had to put it on hold for now, as a result of family issues but thank you for asking how the idea is going i definitely weren't expecting that i think ill work on a bit of it tonight as a result of your comment. I managed to get a general outline down for the main character and premise for the book. for those who are interested i decided to draw from my own procrastinate nature and my issues with creative thinking and decision making for the main character, the plan is to write the story in a way that will also teach the reader a little bit about procrastination, mental blocks and indecisiveness as well as getting around them whilst trying to be to some degree entertaining. i might end up making this a series where the character ends up learning to deal with different issues, each part maybe introduce other characters with different problems so i don't end up with one character filled with problems.

[@ninsophy9798]

@@jongdonglu Oh my goodness that is a great idea! And sometimes you just need a lil' push to find a good time for your creative work. Remember you don't have to work yourself to put something on table. If you don't do it this time, you could learn from this and get it done another time. I'm waiting for your updates!

[@jongdonglu]

@@ninsophy9798 Thank you for your kind words and great advice, if and when i get something readable you will be the first i send it too :D

[@TomorrowWeLive]

Finally a video I don't have to watch! Can you do one on the opposite problem--what to do when you have way too many ideas?

[@remytherat2175]

Simple: send them my way! Lol

[@boxcarhobo7017]

Your vids are writing prompts and idea generators.

[@michaelcartuccio4851]

You can find ideas everywhere you can look at the internet jeepers and you can also look at TV reading books and think outside the box with twists and turns

[@SumitKumar-pg7iu]

She is beautiful and also have a beautiful mind too thanks for helping us I will dedicate a line about u in my book

[@newtoatheism5968]

I keep coming up with a bunch of ideas that sound the same but I feel like they are all similar to a lot of well movies mostly

[@tjlartist609]

Just watched the video… just came up with my idea!

[@Schizniit]

I've been writing lots of concept pieces for a book idea, but I found myself stuck in making some key decisions about it. I have my premise, most of my main characters, a couple antagonists, a few key events, but hit a deadend in trying to draw lines between these events and characters, for lack of a better word. For example, my idea is for a mystery/drama with elements of romance and coming of age, and I've mostly done charts for my characters, some short stories to give myself a feel of their back stories and personalities, but once I try to start penning the main storyline, I get stuck with making steps to get to each plot point.

[@Schizniit]

Also, these are really helpful. I didn't realize there were channels dedicated to helping people improve their writing. Wish I would've stumbled across this channel when I was fresh out of high school.

[@jacoblawrence6580]

Great video! I have always wanted to write books. I have different ideas in my head but for some reason I can't put them down on paper. I have currently been researching my family history and have been interested in that. My Uncle recorded many different family stories so I have thought about taking imaginary characters but base them on real members of my family. Some examples are of my grandfather and his brother running away from home in a Mill Village to South Georgia and Alabama (They did that several time). Another is my 2nd great grandmother's life a teenager in the Civil War south (Sherman's troops actually stayed in their barn). I can picture scenes like from a movie but for some reason I can't write it down. I did try not working with an outline once and I got about 4 chapters and then got stuck. I feel like I need to write down something and have some preparation but maybe not a full outline. If you can help in any way I would greatly appreciate it.

[@advant_498]

I come up with ideas by just looking at photos animations and even songs so let’s say you see a photo of a girl on a bed flying through the sky watching all the clouds fly past you and into the sunset you could make that into a short story or fanfic I mean you still have to plan out all the key details and parts of the story but as long as you have that generall idea of what you want to happen you can make stories using your wildest imagination also from my experience the best stories don’t usually need planning just let your imagination go wild then piece it together with transition words commas and so much more like let’s say you think of a dragon, water, and a flower the main plot could be a water dragon last of its kind trying to find a special flower that could bring the water dragons back so yeah with that little example apply it to your own ideas then mush it up into the best story you could ever make good luck!!

[@ScottyDMcom]

"Local man fights off three alligators." He's Canadian, right? ;-D

[@AsifHassan]

He sounds like a Florida man, though.

[@basthejokester]

@@AsifHassan You ever play that game where you search Florida Man " your birthday"? If not I'd recommend

[@starrynight5207]

from florida*

[@ScottyDMcom]

@@starrynight5207, you missed the winky face. But it wasn't a random joke. Shaelin is Canadian.

[@RodneyBuxton]

Shaelin, how about how to approach the opposite of this? You have half a dozen or so half backed ideas floating around and you're trying to pick which one to work on for your next project. What do you look for, how do you sift through the ideas, and how do you chose which one to go with?

[@Reedsy]

I'd say that mostly comes down to intuition, which idea you feel the most draw to and which feels the most ready, which is hard to define. But, if you have a lot of half baked ideas, sometimes some of them can be combined to make something more complete!

[@RodneyBuxton]

@@Reedsy thanks. Well that's how I approach it now, but hoped you had that magic answer. Sometimes sorting through all the ideas is the hard part especially when the thing you have the most ideas for might not necessarily be the project you want to work on.

[@getwetsoon]

Do you Write First ideias in the Computer or on Paper Notebook ?

[@haven-of-bliss]

I don't read a lot of books. But I do watch a lot of (varied) films. Is it still likely that I'll be able to write a novel?

[@samantha6677]

yes! 💟

[@elizabethbrown8833]

Sometimes I can see the scenes play out on mind but getting those scenes down on paper in acceptable by publisher text no doesn't happen. 🤕sigh sigh sigh 😨🙏

[@garynaccarto8636]

I literally had an idea for a book pop out of nowhere.

[@hayana5535]

What if I have ideas but can't know how to write it

[@writer.Ashlesha]

I have no idea how to write 😭😭😭 how do I learn writing? Any good courses that teach you how to actually write from basics?😭 I write poems, however they come naturally to me. Help!

[@rtwod-]

Are you by any chance related to Megan Olivi? You looks and sound like her

[@rohitvsavinash]

You are preety , and I feel for u

[@bearvillebear1468]

Keep strong. Dont forget that despite the struggles and madness in this world today, God is full of justice, mercy and love. Justice said we broke His perfect law - causing the world's previous perfection to be destroyed - and therefore we deserve Hell (like a punishment in any legal system but this is eternal as His perfect law is eternal too). Don't think you fit in that category? Ever done one of these?: lying, stealing - regardless of how small the object EVER, hating others - which is murder in God's perfect law, lusting (plus God sees our entire thought life). Justice says "the soul that sins shall die" - if we break one in thought/word/deed it's as if we're guilty of all of them. Quite simply, living by the law (which is doing everything perfectly) is impossible for sinful humans . The law shows us that 1. We will die in Hell if we fail to follow it and 2. We cannot save ourselves BUT, 3. God's perfect, immovable law points us to Christ, who followed and fulfilled the law in thought, word and deed perfectly in our place. He did what we couldn't and did it on our behalf. He was then sentenced to death on a cross, and took our personal punishment for our sin, paying our penalty (like paying our fine) completely FOR us, and has given us freedom. If we turn from the sins we have committed and repent (pursue the opposite direction of love through Christ) He will, overtime, recreate us back into that previously perfect image through The Holy Spirit which Jesus sends to all who accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior of their life. He will help us through the struggle, the stress, and anything we experience in the world. It's about letting Christ in to guide and teach you and obeying Him through His power (not ourselves, we need Him to help us as it's impossible without depending on His power and instruction). He is our substitute in His life, death and resurrection. He essentially rewrote history in our place so that, if you believe in Him, it will be as if you had never sinned if you accept Christ's death as our own in our place. He is in Heaven right now preparing a place for us so that He can take His faithful, believing children home with Him when He returns. He will ressurrect us from death when He returns, giving mercy to those who accept His love, instruction and teachings in their life, and give justice to those who refuse it. He doesn't want ANY of us to go to Hell and die for continuing in evil and rejecting His way to life, thats why He died FOR us. Hes giving EVERYONE a chance, He wants everyone to take the free gift of salvation from Hell. He wants us to be His and begin to follow His life of love and service through His power and abiding (staying) with Him. So long as we keep our hearts near to Christ through His strength, strive to follow His will of perfect love revealed in the Bible, and let Him lead in the midst of (very certain) pitfalls and struggles, we will, in time, win the ultimate victory over sin, pain and DEATH through Christ. Even if you are willing to be made willing, pray for Jesus to come in and He will do what we can't. Give us The Holy Spirit who will guide us in the right way. Christ says in John 16:33: I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] - (AMPLIFIED version) NOTE: You are NEVER too sinful or messed up that God cannot turn your life around through Jesus. EVER. Regardless of what you've done or what you're going through you CAN make it through Jesus. Xx

[@Amanda-gv4zg]

Your voice sounds a little like lilsimsie

[@smartidea2987]

Is it not a bit too much for a young girl like you to talk and teach about such overwhelming subjects?!!

[@Reedsy]

Good thing I don't find this topic overwhelming :)

[@ferbthecow5324]

that's funny because she's an adult

[@johnadams7145]

You sound like a troll.