Brainstorming Myself by Claire Fayers

 While I wait for editing to start on my new book, I've been brainstorming new ideas. As all authors know, this is a tricky and serious business.

First, make sure you have gathered all your equipment together. 

I like using coloured gel pens because it makes the business of writing feel less serious.

Now, make yourself a cup of tea and leave it to go cold on the edge of your desk. It'll save you time later. (Seriously, I have a friend who'd forget his tea and then knock it over so often that we took to asking, 'Do you want tea or shall I just pour a cold one on the carpet for you?')

Are all your pets, children, husbands, wives, partners and sundry distractions locked away? If not, do it now. You can't risk anything interrupting the flow of genius from your marvellous brain. I'm a big fan of noise-cancelling headphones which signal to the world that I Must Not Be Disturbed. A ball of wool in each ear may also work, or strap a pair of miniature sheep to your head. You may look ridiculous but we must all make sacrifices for our art.

Oh, and TURN OFF THE INTERNET! THE INTERNET IS A TIME-SUCKING MONSTER THAT EATS AUTHORS' BRAINS FOR BREAKFAST.

Ready?

Take your favourite pen in your favourite hand, open your notebook, take a deep breath (you know what another word for breathing in is, don't you? Inspiration), and fill the blank page with all the ideas that are suddenly and miraculously teeming in your mind.

OK, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. 

I'm surprised how many people thing that this is basically how writers get their ideas - we stare at a blank page until words appear. It would be nice if it worked. But stories are like pearls: they don't just appear fully formed. They need something to cling to. 

Turning back to my blank page, I tried prompt words. 

This random word generator is useful. (The Internet does have its uses after all.)

Or you can try an entire random plot generator. This one really is a time-sucking monster and you can lose whole days to it so approach with caution.

Finally, I turned to an exercise that Kelly McKain shared at the Folly Farm retreat this year.

The idea is you start writing - anything at all, just get your pen moving - then throw in a question. Who is writing this?

Keep writing, and repeat the question every so often. Who is writing this? If you want, you can vary it with What I really want to say is?

The exercise led to some interesting results when we tried it at Folly Farm. Sitting alone at home, it seemed like a pointless question. Who is writing this? Well, me, obviously, and I don't know what I want to say - if I knew, I wouldn't have to be brainstorming. Then, while my third cup of tea cooled on my desk and my cats clamoured to be let in and out, a thought struck. 

What if, our happiest, our most authentic, our best writing, comes out of who we are? 

If that is true, the 'Who am I?' exercise takes on a whole new importance. When I'm starting to look for new ideas, I can start with myself - the person I am now, not the hopeful, unpublished writer from ten years ago or even the more experienced and cynical writer from last year. Who do I want to be this time round? What do I want to say? Suddenly, I'm looking forward to finding out.

So that's the story of how I went looking for ideas and found myself. I'm not sure I've found my next big idea yet, but I'm having fun looking for it. 

In the meantime, here are a few more brainstorming exercises I've found useful.

1. Choose an interesting memory. Why is it interesting? Try changing the setting, the emotional tone, some of the characters. Narrate the memory from a different viewpoint.
2. Think of a place you visited a long time ago. What emotions do you associate with it? Describe the scene from the viewpoint of a character feeling the opposite emotion.
3. Make a list of the things that make you feel happy/excited. And then a list of all the things that annoy you. Use the lists to invent a few characters.

Unlocking Your Inner Potential - Rebecca Lisle

Well, is there inner potential, that's the question.  I'm certainly not sure there's any in me. I suspect that my innards are devoid of anything. Everything. I'm trying to write and I can't. My inner muse or well of inspiration or whatever, is now nothing but a clogged up puddle of mud.

I wondered if a self-help guide might help. Although I don't want my own self-help, I want someone else to help. Actually I guess I want someone else to write my 'book words' for me.

The trouble with this book is I am already full of fear and personally I think it's plain dangerous to do something you know for sure is scary. That's why it's scary. To stop you from doing it. Sensible really. Protective.

So this book is no help at all.

Apparently I do have an inner genius, really I do. There's lots about it on the internet. I have to find it, that's all. Unlock it. So I turn to my store of images which I gather as I go about the world, hoping one day they will become something. Anything. Since I always find doors inspiring and interesting here are a few of my favourites. They might give you inspiration. But these doors are . . .

              

          

Locked. Maybe for ever.

OK.  

I've got more photos. I've got these fascinating boxes, surely full of wonderful ideas and exciting plots:

How about this ancient box. What was it used for? Why the huge lock? Surely I can be inspired by its mysterious paintings of birds and spiky plants?  

What are those two chaps hiding in there? Are they smiling? I'm sure they look smug. I have the feeling they know the secret of how to write a good book and they've got it locked up in there and won't tell.

And what's inside this 15th century iron cask? The secret to the Universe? The best plot in the world?

And although I have some extraordinary keys - 

guess what - they don't unlock anything.

So back to the self-help books.  "How to be Happy" Impossible. It'll never happen. "How to write your novel in one year!" That's far too long. I want it done by the end of the week.  "The Easy Way to Write." That's just lies - there isn't one. "Everything I know about Writing." Fine, but you know it, you're successful, stop showing off. I know nothing. I can't write a thing.

Finally I take the plunge and write my very own self-help guide. A must for all would be novelists. It's called "The Only Way To Write"by Rebecca Lisle. Because there is only one me and only one way to write. And the best thing about it is it won't take long to read and it really does work!

There is one page of credits and acknowledgments: 

Firstly, I thank myself for all the hard work I've put into this book, myself for being my constant support and critic, myself for never giving up hope and belief in me and myself for feeding me constant cups of coffee and buns. I will never forget you. 

On the following page the advice begins. And ends. 

Stop faffing around and get on with it. 

Rebecca Lisle  www.rebeccalisle.com

Rebecca's most recent book THE SPIN, published by Hot Key Books has been nominated for the West Sussex Children's Book Award