Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop ✒ Writing Tips

Lesson 2: How to come up with great ideas?

Ever noticed the growing influx of plot shops at Wattpad? A plot shop basically is a book containing ideas and themes for stories written by people who do not want to write the work themselves, they usually provide a reason why, or just want to help budding writers get new and unique ideas.

[Note that this is different from a writing prompt because it isn't a single sentence or paragraph on which you have to base the story, it is a whole plot].

But in my opinion, any other writer who didn't come up with the plot himself/herself won't usually be able to do justice to the work appropriately. I believe that both the plot and the characters have deep connections with the author who thought about it in the first place.

This is not like adoption where you can adopt a kid, provide him/her a loving home and family and everything becomes happy and shiny. It's a story and stories can not be easily adopted.

I once tried to write on an idea given to me by a fellow Wattpader and she had said that she didn't want to write it herself because she couldn't manage the time for writing. Trust me, to this day I could not bring myself to properly write the story. True, I published 15 chapters and got the book completed but there was still something it lacked.

That special connection which I have with the rest of my stories.

So I took it down and it is still chilling in my drafts.

Some writers twist these ideas and the final work turns out great but what I meant to say is that if you have an idea, it is better to write it out yourself because who knows, it might turn out loads better than what the other writer is going to write it as.

That doesn't mean I am discouraging you from using plot shops, you know I donate a lot of plots too here at Honeydukes. It all depends on the people who take those plots, if they are good wordsmiths, the plot will turn out great. If not, then yes it is a pain. 

So now you're probably thinking that yeah, I must get an idea for my own fanfic as well. But the question a lot of people and writers sometimes think of is; how to come up with great and unique ideas for your fanfic?

Well, all your worries are over, because in this chapter we are going to explore what defines a great idea and how you can come up with awesome plot ideas that can leave others mind-blown.

Let's get started, shall we? 

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First of all, what defines a good idea?

This question has bugged many and I admit that I used to think a lot about it as well. But all the thinking and pondering as well as gaining experience in reading and writing has provided me with enough material to somehow clear your concepts regarding this question (at least I hope that it does clear your concepts).

A good idea is one that is unique and has the power to lure readers in. It should be something which is never seen or heard of before, something which has potential and something which can connect with the readers immediately.

Also, it should be expendable and must not be too complicated for your readers. It should be promising which means that it must have a balance between all the states of writing (happy, sad, romantic etc).

Now of course, you must be a little confused so let me elaborate by sharing with you the technique of getting a good idea on which you are going to base your fanfic upon. Which brings us to our next question.

How to think out of the box?

Thinking out of the box always renders a unique idea. But how to do it? Well it's not as difficult as it may seem. First we have to keep in mind the theme, sub genres and setting in which we want to write a fanfic. That makes us have a clear direction set out in front of us. 

For instance, you want to write a fanfiction set in the Marauders Era which is of a slightly darker theme but has the sub genre romance in it then you have three main points sorted out in front of you. Now all you have to do is start a little bit of research.

For research purposes I always recommend visiting Harry Potter Wiki. Even though Pottermore is also preferred by many, it does not always comply with the demands; as it doesn't focus on facts and figures rather it uses different writings by Miss Rowling and provides a whole new experience to the books. So in simple words, ditch Pottermore when you are in the initial stages of writing.

Now look up the sources of information available regarding the three main points you have got sorted out. Read the articles on the Marauders (individually and collectively), on the years 1970s onwards and look for the tiniest of details.

When you start looking for the tiny details, it is then the inspiration kicks in. Sometimes that most minute of detail can provide you with an idea for a mind-blowing plot.

Also, pay utmost attention to the Behind the Scenes section in each of the pages you read. Not only does it have a lot of info you aren't aware of but it also contains interesting stuff which in itself can be developed into a plot.

Now suppose that you have chosen Remus Lupin as the canon character on which your fanfic will revolve. When you study the Etymology of Remus's name you can see that it is taken from the myth of the two brothers raised by a wolf; Remus and Romolus. Both of them grew up to become the founders of the city Rome but one the feud of who would sit on the throne, Romolus killed Remus.

You can use this point in a fanfic by making Remus have a twin brother named Romolus who is somewhat different than him and gets sorted into either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Romolus becomes jealous of his brother and from then on you can take the story in whichever direction you please. This gives you an idea for a dark themed fanfic.

Or rather, you can consider wolfsbane. During the time Remus was studying in school, Wolfsbane had not been invented yet therefore he couldn't use it. Damocles was the potioneer who invented wolfsbane and was given an Order of Merlin for his efforts. Now what if Damocles had an apprentice who turned out be an acquaintance of Remus since the school days (most probably someone he used to be on good friendly terms) and that apprentice lets him know of the potion and its effects on werewolves. Remus initially thought it was a ray of hope but discovered that the ingredients list was too expensive and he himself wasn't good at brewing potions, so that apprentice smuggles the right amount of potion to him just in time for the full moon.

How to formulate the idea?

After you have thought of the idea, you have to formulate it. Or in simple words align it to be in accordance with the theme and setting of your fanfic.

Take a pen and paper and note down all you have thought so far. In this way you will be creating a rough outline that will come in handy when you start writing the story. Remember that this outline is just a draft and you will find yourself changing a lot of details in the outline. But having it all noted down helps a great deal. Also the outline helps you decide whether you can turn the idea into a complete fanfic or not. Another way of deciding whether an idea is expendable or not will be discussed soon in the upcoming chapters.

Pay attention to the timeline, do your research and your idea will get formulated in next to no time.

***

And that is how you can come up with great and originally unique ideas of your own that can eventually turn into great fanfictions.

Keep in mind that although the way a story is written matters a lot but the uniqueness and originality counts a great deal too. And this is also a way of staying away from cliche story tropes already available in abundance at Wattpad.

Another way to stay away from cliches is to include more underrated characters in your story. There are many people out there who have grown tired of the Other Potter, the Lost Malfoy and such stories, instead they want to hear about the Macmillans, the Bones family, the Prewetts and the list can go on forever.

There are many interesting things rooted in these underrated characters, all you have to do is dig it all up through research.

Hope this chapter was helpful.

~Imaan.