Writers should always be writing. But what do you when it's time to start a new project and you are out of ideas. You have nothing! All of your old ideas are crap. And you need gold in a bottle now.
1) Ask.
Remember six months ago when you didn't need an idea, but every party you went to, someone gave you their idea for a movie. "Leave us alone already, we don't want your idea." Until now. Of course, most of the ideas you hear are bad. But, you might hear something you can work with.
Does it matter if you didn't come up with the kernel of the idea? Do we know for sure that Christopher Nolan wasn't sitting around when his stoner friend said "Wouldn't it be awesome if you could travel into someone's dreams, or even better into a dream of their dream?" Most ideas are already represented in the Hollywood or NYC Lit Marketplaces. Your idea is not new. But your style and voice are. The way you will execute the story is. So once again, open yourself up and ask for help.
2) Steal.
Picasso said it best, "Good artists borrow, great artists steal." Find something you like and make it your own. I don't mean rip off a story verbatim. Let's say you love Tron, however the premise doesn't totally make sense. How can a computer program enter the real world?
What if you expanded on that? And now, switch genres. A thriller? What if a criminal mastermind brought a program into the real world that could rob banks. I give you the next heist movie. Or romantic comedy? What if a man made the ultimate computer program for a matchmaking site, only to find when his program came into the real world, he's in love.
Is this Tron? No. But did we steal part of the story? Yes. However, we've added our own twist and our own voice and now it's unrecognizable from Tron. You like Usual Suspects? Put it in high school. You like Harry Met Sally? Put it in a boxing ring. Steal and make it your own.
3) Input.
Find it wherever you can. Go see movies. Go to a theme park. Go see a show. Inspiration can't find you if you don't open yourself to it. Carry around a notebook. Write down anything that interests you. A musician trips on stage. Why? The beginnings of a nervous breakdown? Two costumed characters get into a fight at Disneyland. Could this be a Will Ferrel comedy? Anything that can inspire a character, a scene, a beginning.
Ultimately, idea generation takes time. If you find yourself needing an idea today, you're in trouble. The best thing to do is constantly be looking out for ideas. This should be an ongoing exercise. And the best advice: Carry a notebook or have a doc in your smartphone ready to go. Because you never know when inspiration will strike. You best be ready to record it.
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