TECH: Turning Ideas into Stories?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 7 March 2010

Hi, ho. Over here http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-does-intelligence-work.html Jacqueline Lichtenberg talks about where those crazy ideas come from. In other words, what is her process for getting ideas that go into stories or novels. Admittedly, she's in the science fiction romance area, which combines the trivial and ridiculous ideas of romance with the out-of-the-box crazy and pointless ideas of science fiction. But anyway, here are her seven steps:

1. Ask silly questions. (tink says I might call that challenging assumptions). In particular, look at things that people take for granted, and ask why or how.
2. Find a conflict generating emotion, a plot generating dynamic buried in that assumption. Look for fears, panic, worries and concerns.
3. Do some "What if..." speculation. Try out some variations on that concept.
4. Re-state the question. Add some details, mix in some things, and ask a question that connects the abstract thought or concept to a reader's daily worries and conflicts.
5. Look back at the original question.
6. Now take a world builder's view of what you've been brewing. Apply it to a lot of people, push it to extremes, look for the breaking points.
7. Build a series of alternate worlds, expressing various versions of your concept. Fantasy, science fiction, paranormal... here on earth, out in space, in another time and place... try it out.

So that's her process, and she demonstrates it as she walks through the seven steps, looking at the little question of "How does intelligence work?"

Obviously, you may want to try your own silly questions, and then push them through the wringer to come up with your very own worlds of what if. That's fine.

Just don't forget to write.