Hey there!
Today's blog post is a little different than usual--that's because I'm participating in the blog tour for The House That Didn't End! The House That Didn't End is a novella written by debut author E.K. Seaver, and today, she's sharing where she gets her ideas from! But before we dive in, here's a little more about the House That Didn't End:
Nothing, not even the creepy house in the woods, can dissuade Ly O'Dare from finishing this scavenger hunt. Where else can a broke seventeen-year-old get enough money to finance her art endeavors and start a business?
Even being snowed in with a sarcastic stranger isn't too bad, and as long as he is helping her find the hidden staircase, she'll tolerate his quips. Jackson Evergreen's quest was something he had been preparing for his entire life. And now he's finally at the end of it, so close to saving the world when he gets snowed in with a bubbly blonde names Ly. The house is more dangerous than either of them prepared for, though, and Jackson's suddenly thrust into a situation he didn't intend to get in and is falling for a girl he only just met.
One thing they know for sure, however, in this house, nothing is what it seems.
Now, onto the rest of the post!
Coming up with ideas... It's a part of a story that feels impossible at some points and too easy at others. Every writer goes through stages where they get a new idea every day or so, and other stages where the brain won't come up with an idea, even if you promise to eat kale every day for the rest of your life. (No hate on people who love kale. I eat it but I'm not a fan.)
So what are some practical ways to get ideas, and then to streamline them into an actual story? Well, one good place to start tends to be Pinterest. Yes, I know people are always telling you to avoid Pinterest because it's home to a lot of distractions, but Pinterest is also a great place for story inspiration. Personally, I don't use story prompts (my brain straight up refuses to create if I'm subtly "stealing" someone's work.), but tons of other things-- from dramatic photographs to dialogue prompts. (Yes, story prompts won't work with my brain but dialogue prompts very much will.)
The second way to come up with ideas is to blatantly steal them from others. Ever watched the Dream SMP? It's a bunch of mostly British Minecraft streamers who came up with this incredible storyline that probably has way too many references to musicals. Then a bunch of probably-not-British teenagers took the storyline and made it into animatics and fanart. Meanwhile, I somehow stumbled into this super cool creative stuff, and it ended up inspiring me to start working on a new adult dystopian fantasy with a civil war, magic powers, and some characters that are straight up based on characters in this book. See, for me the thing about saying "Hey, yeah, I took that idea and made it my own thing," is that the idea becomes more of my own thing by acknowledging it. Because when I acknowledge it, I realize I don't want to copy the other person's thing. (Quick content warning before you decide to binge the DSMP: There's a lot of language and the players are not Christians. Content-wise... it's a block game. But they also are mostly young adult men who curse and make immature jokes.)
That probably makes no sense.
Anyway, those are my two best ways to come up with ideas. If you have other ways, let me know in the comments, as I can always use more ideas. :)
Get your copy of The House That Didn't End today!
About the author
To find an E. K. Seaver, you must set a trap. The best option is to lure her in using chocolate, blankets, and a typewriter, but if none of those are on hand, spare books and Broadway music can be easily substituted.
She prefers to be wild and free, though. Whether it includes adventuring through the Rocky Mountains or curled up at a local bookshop, she uses her freedom to produce art. From books to scarves to paintings, Ms. Seaver strives to honor her King in every aspect of her creative works. She desires her stories to hold a meaning beyond the tale and attempts to follow in the footsteps of storytellers who came before her. You can find her and her wild adventures at ekseaver.wordpress.com or on Instagram @ekseaver.author.
The blog tour schedule
Where do you get your ideas from? Are you planning on picking up The House That Didn't End? Thanks for reading!
Until next time
Kayleigh Idea
Ooooo that was a really awesome guest post!!!!!!!!!!! Pinterest is SO good at helping me get ideas!! I believe a short story I wrote once had gotten a lot of the idea from a dialogue prompt I saw on Pinterest. I get a lot of ideas from movies and books. *cough* that's why I binge LOTR like crazy. XDD Anyway, awesome post, and thank you sooo much, Kayleigh, for sharing!!!!