I’ve seen several
articles about story ideas – where to find them, how to get them, how to figure
out which ones are good and which ones are not. But I must admit haven’t read
any of them.
I haven’t read any of
them because I don’t have any trouble coming up with a story idea. In fact,
sometimes it feels like they seek me out, tackle me to ground
and won’t release me until I write them down.
To borrow a phrase from
Jeff Gerke – I’m a plot-firster. So What is going to happen in
a story comes easily to me. Sometimes a little too easy. I am a cautious person
by nature. I prefer a steady trickle of information coming to me about a story.
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| from Fotolia by kevron2001 |
Often, though, I get
blasted with a tidal wave of images, names, plot twists and resolutions all at
one time. The experience leaves me gasping for air and trying to put the pieces
together in its wake.
The tough part for me is
character development. Because as the characters become more fully developed, I
begin to see them. “That’s good,” I can hear you say.
Well, yes and no. It’s
good for the reason you’re thinking. The better you see a character the easier
it is to write him or her.
The not good part for me
is as they become more developed, more aware of their existence, they become
very demanding. I can almost see them standing in the corner with their arms
crossed or hands on their hips, a single eyebrow cocked with disapproval. They
just stand there waiting for me to write their stories. You’d think they could
be a little more understanding. I mean really!
Back to the question at
hand… So where do stories come from? I can only answer for myself and my single
largest source for stories is the Bible. The Holy Spirit is such a visual
writer. There are tons of images that illustrate Truth (Jesus, His character)
throughout all 66 books of the Bible.
Proverbs is loaded with
mini-scenarios that could be fleshed out as a full-fledged novel or at least a
short story. I’m often inspired by what I learn during Bible studies, too. A
personal revelation turns into a seed of a story that illustrates another
aspect of who God is and why He is God alone.
Ultimately, I must
credit God as the source of all my story ideas. The very author and finisher of
our faith. How loving and how generous He is that He would share Himself with
us in “story?”
Thank you, Jesus, for
not keeping your story to yourself. May every story I write reflect your good
news and bring you glory.
