What’s The Big Idea?

Today we’re going to talk about the very beginnings of the journey, the Story Concept. How do you decide what to write about? Where do you get your ideas?

Obviously there is no concrete answer to those questions. Everyone takes inspiration from different things that they encounter in their lives. There is no formula. Except in our writing partnership there kind of is. Kent is the concept guy. Jen is the plotter.

Here’s how it usually goes:

Kent: Hey, I have an idea for a story.

Jen: Do tell.

Kent: Okay, there’s a world where all of the molecules are rotated 90° counterclockwise!

Jen: ?

Kent: Get it? Because then all the molecules are rotated a quarter turn!

Jen: So what happens next?

Kent: I don’t know.

There are probably some of you who would love to read Kent’s 100,000 word treatise on the partially rotated molecules, but I suspect there are many more who would find, without characters or a plot, it might be a little boring.

On the other hand, Jen can spin plot complications all day long. She will happily devote days to drawing up timelines for characters’ actions, more days to filling in their family trees, and still more days to sketching floor plans for their (and their parents’) houses. Jen is all about the backstory, but generally doesn’t have the moment of inspiration that produces the hook.

And then we act out an old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercial:

Kent: Hey! You got your plot complications in my big idea!

Jen: Hey! You got your big idea in my plot complications!

And that’s what writing partners can be: Two great tastes that taste great together.