The Write Buzz

Q: I want to write a story but I don’t know where to start. How do you come up with an idea?

A: Good question! Half the battle with writing a good story is coming up with a good idea that almost makes the story write itself. In fact, the better your idea is, the easier your story is to write.
So first, you should pray! God can drop some of the best ideas ever into your mind.
I also play games. One game I play when coming up with a story idea is the “What if…?” game. I’ll start with a blank document open on my computer and I’ll write down some What if… questions. In my Amazing Laptop series, the main character plays this game because he’s a writer—and he discovers that whatever he types into his laptop actually happens, so for him, it’s REALLY fun! For instance:

What if a boy got a new camera for his birthday?

What if a girl discovered she could talk to birds?

What if a kid found out he was actually three years older than he thought?

Those could all make good stories, couldn’t they? But don’t stop there. Once you’ve got a good What if…, make it better. For instance:

What if a boy got a new camera for his birthday?

…and what if everytime he took a picture of someone, they disappeared?

…and what if he accidentally took a picture of his parents?

Now you’ve got a story, don’t you?! In fact, that’s a story that could almost write itself.
—Chris