<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Has anyone here ever written fiction? A novel? How do you go about finding an idea? Does it just pop up in your head one day? I have this perhaps inane idea that I would like to write a bestselling novel, but I have no clue where to start with that sort of thing.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>A lot of people have had that idea. </p>
<p>First, you should read bestselling novels to get a feeling for what sort of things sell.</p>
<p>It seems to me that, until you actually start forcing yourself to write and read A LOT, your dream to write a bestselling novel means about a much as my dream to go to the Olympics. In other words, it’s pure fantasy.</p>
<p>I think that if the bestseller is what you aspire to (rather than “merely” a novel that is of quality), that’s also a problem. You don’t want to write – you want to have written.</p>
<p>As for how I get ideas – I couldn’t really say. They are inspired by many things. Just remember that writing is a craft that must be learned and honed through years of work.</p>
<p>The best way to start writing is to . . . start writing. Your first drafts will be horrible, but that is all part of the process. 
Set aside a half hour a day and just go with it. Immediate Fiction is a great book about starting the writing process.</p>
<p>Also, I highly recommend doing [url=<a href=“http://www.nanowrimo.org/]NaNoWriMo[/url”>http://www.nanowrimo.org/]NaNoWriMo[/url</a>] (National Novel Writing Month) in November. It’s a blast!</p>
<p>I bought this awhile ago…</p>
<p>[Dramatica</a> Writers DreamKit 4.0](<a href=“http://dramatica.stores.yahoo.net/dramwritdrea.html]Dramatica”>http://dramatica.stores.yahoo.net/dramwritdrea.html)</p>
<p>Lots of ideas, but no bestseller yet…</p>
<p>I’ve only written picture books (and had them all rejected), but yes the ideas just popped in my head and I wrote them down. The writers I know (at least the successful ones) just write. If you want a little inspirations and push I highly recommend reading Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird.</p>
<p>I can’t help you with the writing part ( I have no imagination) but if you aspire to be a bestselling author- I suggest reading the chapter on quitting smoking in David Sedaris’s latest book. His motivation for quitting seems based on wanting to stay in nicer hotels while on book tours.</p>
<p>Stephen King also has a book on tips for writers called * On Writing*</p>
<p>You start by writing. Every day. </p>
<p>A writers’ group can be a good jumpstart as well. I found one through ■■■■■■■■■■, and we meet regularly to read from works in progress, critique one another’s work, and offer moral support.</p>
<p>The ideas, by the way, are the easy part. Every writer I know has more ideas than they could possibly use in a lifetime. The hard part is keeping your butt in the chair, putting words on the page day after day.</p>
<p>As for the bestselling part: Nothing can make that happen except talent and luck. If you’re going into this because you like imagining yourself as a bestselling novelist, this is probably not the field for you. A tiny, tiny fraction of fiction writers make enough money to quit their day jobs. The rest of us write because we have a passion for writing and stories.</p>
<p>In addition to the writing books already mentioned, I recommend Lawrence Block’s books on writing. Very straightforward and practical advice.</p>
<p>^^^^ Stephen King’s book is fantastic. I would also suggest reading “Writing Down The Bones” by somebody I don’t remember, and Anne Lamott’s book if a great one too. </p>
<p>Joan Didion said that her husband (John Dunne) used to admonish her if she was caught without paper saying something like–carrying a notebook is the difference between being a writer and not being a writer.</p>
<p>Our library occasionally sponsors writing groups in conjunction with the local university–so you might check there too.</p>
<p>Thanks. Truthfully, I wish I was JK Rowling. Or, could at least, borrow her brain.</p>
<p>Her hands. Just do it.</p>
<p>Are people like Stephen King, Ian McEwan, Nicholas Sparks, Stephanie Meyer, etc, etc. millionaires because of what they write? </p>
<p>I know JK Rowling is a billionaire because of Harry Potter.</p>
<p>Why would I want to borrow her hands??</p>
<p>Well, I meant, you have to actually write…put the words on paper…with hands…not just think ( with your brain) about writing. My favorite quote is “I hate writing…I love having written”. Can’t recall who said it ( Google say’s Dorothy Parker).</p>
<p>I just have no clue why someone would write to become rich. It’s just so unlikely. You need to write because you love writing. That’s the only good reason.</p>
<p>I get ideas from everywhere.</p>
<p>Writing is rewriting. I rewrite a draft and revise it a number of times. Most who begin to write a novel never finish. It takes perserverance. </p>
<p>Lots of money would be nice, but for me the best parts are creating something from nothing and hearing from readers.</p>
<p>you might want to check out nanowrimo.org A fun way to write a novel and have the support of other writers.</p>