Fanfiction 101: Where To Get Ideas
Hmmm... getting ideas is always an interesting time. Sometimes they'll just hit me, full blown in the face. Other times, I'll see or overhear something that gives me a starting point, or other scene for a story and I find someone willing to listen to me ramble until I get it sorted out in my head. I get ideas from other fanfics, movies, books, or just by thinking and setting up a background first before I add any characters. Often they will write themselves. Just let the characters BE themselves. Where to get ideas? Try opening your eyes and watching the events around you. Take what you see, and let your imagination go with it. You might be surprised at what ends up inspiring you... This is the easiest and hardest.
I've never been able to understand why people have so much trouble with this-I'm sure they've have plenty of ideas swimming around, nebulous though they may be. The key is separating the dross from the gold, ne? An idea for a fanfic is quite simply that you think when you say, "i really wish that they had...." or "it should have happened that way" or "i wonder why....".
If you need to actively hunt for material, I suggest going right to the source, and either watch or read the FY cannon again. I'm sure you'll see some things that you'll want to "correct" (the sign of a fanfic writer), explore, or make fun of.
Sometimes I'll go on an FY marathon and watch up to twelve episodes in a sitting, getting an OD.... I tend to have some very interesting dreams afterwards!
Another way is to read fanfic. That's the best way to get started- that way, you'll know some standards, and you'll start getting a "feel" for the genre.
Hmmm...where to get ideas is a good question. I usually get ideas from life experiences, or from watching or looking at something. A good life experience should help, either that, or from friends. Let your mind wander, no da! That is what imagination is for! Even if you don't get any stories from it, at least you will be entertained. But please, keep that silly grin off your face as you wander or else you will scare people na no da! They have institutionalized people for less no da! Where do I get ideas? Well, I write a lot of crossovers with movies and books, so the ideas are already there. I also ask my friends for ideas. If an idea strikes you, anything, just write it down!
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