Moon Cake's Chronicles

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

— Stephen King

For those that are new to writing thinking of how to begin can be daunting. How do you start? What do you write? Ideas for writing stories can begin from many things. One sure way to help is reading. Pick up a novel, a book of poems, look at the news, read a paper or a magazine. Reading new material helps us gain a new perspective, one that you may not have thought of before. Once your mind is more active on the matter it can be the foundation for a vast amount of plots, themes, characters and ideas. There’s no harm in taking inspiration from the things you read. Ideas for writing can spring from anywhere. A conversation you had, something you saw, a dream or nightmare (arguably nightmares are more exciting and give better fuel for stories). Keeping a dream journal can help if you’re stuck for ideas. A good starting point is to plan and gauge the direction of your piece early on. If you are not sure it can lead to a lot of re-writing. However, all is not lost if you’re not sure. Some of the best stories were written without a plan and free flowing thoughts. But sometimes it works better to write a small plan up first. It could be a list with bullet points or a diagram. Use whatever works best for you and what you are most comfortable with. My last tip for now would be to carry a small notebook and pen wherever you go so you can note down and ideas and writing prompts from things that inspire you throughout the day.