John Howard Reid

Brainstorming Themes and Ideas for Stories and Articles



Posted: Saturday, January 30, 2010

by John Howard Reid
Classic Movie Posters

Message from Sonia:

John, I used to write quite a bit when I was younger. I am looking to get back into writing short stories and articles but I feel like I do not even know where to start! What's that saying about the mind being like a steel trap...well I think mine is rusted shut! Can you give me some ideas on how to brainstorm themes and ideas for stories and articles? Also, any tips on how to enhance a story that I may want to use from real-life that may just need some excitement to make it more enjoyable. Any tips would be great, I am really excited to get back into writing!

That's a very good question and I'm delighted that you wish to resume your writing career. How to start? Well, start small. Don't be too ambitious at first. You're not going to write "Gone With the Wind" straight off, as you obviously realize. Stories and articles are the right choice. First is the subject. What to write about? A story from real life is a fine suggestion, so long as you know the beginning and the end. Readers don't like to be left up in the air. A real-life story often works better if you change the characters (and it's sometimes essential to do this anyway. You don't want to find yourself in court!). Something that happens to a politician or a movie star is potentially more interesting to readers than the adventures of a clerk in a dreary office block.

Having successfully tackled some small projects, you can work yourself up to larger endeavors. You might read some of the winning articles and stories in writing contests and feel that you can do better!

Another piece of standard advice to get the creative juices flowing is to talk to people. But an even better way in my opinion is to go on a holiday and talk to people, because folk really loosen up when they're on holidays. When I was holidaying in Mexico, a fellow tourist asked me if I was a keen fisherman. I'm not. I hate fish both in and out of the water. But I told him I was because he was obviously dying to tell me something. He described a little fishing village in Lower California called Bahia de los angeles. Even the name appealed to me. What a contrast this obscure little place would make with our Los Angeles!

So I purchased a few rods and other equipment. That was my cover. I drove to Bahia de los angeles where I was warmly welcomed by the locals. I pretended my Spanish was rudimentary, although I can actually speak Spanish well. That was another cover. My book of inter-related short stories, Mexican Autumn , then virtually wrote itself.

John Howard Reid has worked on both sides of the counter in the publishing industry for over fifty years. He is the author of over 100 published books, including Bible translations, novels, original poetry, and books of criticism. He has also edited anthologies of both poetry and short stories. Published in England and Europe, in Australia and the USA/Canada, some of his books are described on the website http://johnreid.exactpages.com

Reid is also a well-known authority on classic and vintage movies and has written a large number of books on this subject. Titles currently in print are described at http://classicmovieposters.exactpages.com

Currently, Reid is writing an advice column for SearchWarp, namely "Prose and Poetry Advice for All Writers". Questions can be submitted at http://searchwarp.com/Advice-Columns/Prose-and-Poetry-Advice
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Jill
from Brighton 1 year 335 days ago.
Your article has given me inspiration to resume my writing, I have never been published because other things got in the way. The kids are gone and time goes on and on so thank you. I am currently writing a bio but now feel I can venture further.
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