“Where do you get your ideas from?” I suppose this is the question writers get asked more often than any other. I’ve heard of one writer whose stock reply was “Well I just log on to ‘IdeasRUs’”, which is clever (but I do wonder how many would-be writers have tried to find such a site, just in case!)
In fact, of course, ideas come from anywhere and everywhere,
from something someone said, or something you read in the newspaper, or something
unusual you notice, overhear, or see on a poster or on television – anywhere,
in fact. I can’t help feeling that ideas
are always floating around in the ether, just waiting for a writer with an
enquiring mind to grab on to them and turn them into a book.
But whatever comes from the spark that set you off is unlikely
to set anyone else off on exactly the same road. Sometimes it’s entirely possible that the
idea that sparked your imagination has just happened to spark another writer's at
the same time – though it’s very unlikely that both books will turn out identical. Which is why it is rarely a good idea for a
writer to accuse someone else of “stealing” their idea – on very rare occasions
this might be true, but the two books would probably be quite different. And it’s notable that it’s only when a book
has already become a huge success that someone else decides to claim that they
had the idea first, so it must have been “stolen” from them! How often has someone claimed that they were
the first one to have the idea for an unsuccessful book?
Anyway, I am currently in the happy (and very lucky) position
of having had the idea for my next book sparked by a friend’s casual remark,
and now I can’t wait to start writing it.
Even if someone else has a similar idea, it’s unlikely to turn out the
same as mine.
Except that before I start writing it, I must finish writing my
current book first.
So this Blog will be rather short, I’m afraid. I’ve now got two books to write!
Latest book:
Billy and the Queen
1 comment:
"How often has someone claimed that they were the first one to have the idea for an unsuccessful book?" (And had the idea stolen) That's a very good point, Lynne.
Wuhsing you good speed to your words and both books!
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