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February 3, 2016

Writing Tips from RRR – WHERE DO YOU GET IDEAS?

dd_iheartwriting1

I get a lot of awesome letters from my readers, and I’m always so excited when someone tells me Dork Diaries has inspired them to write their own stories. Often, I get asked for writing tips, and one of the top questions is, “Where do you get ideas??”

If you’ve written to me or read any interviews with me, you probably already know this: I get most of my ideas from the hilarious real-life experiences of my two totally dorky daughters, Erin and Nikki. They’re adults now, but when they were in middle school, they had crushes, bullies, BFFs, and all sorts of ups and downs that are now reflected in the pages of the Dork Diaries books.

“That’s great for you, Rachel,” you might be thinking. “But, I’m still in middle school! I don’t have two daughters providing me with ideas! I haven’t lived a whole life yet! So, where should I get ideas?”

Here’s the thing—ideas are EVERYWHERE! Most experienced writers (like me!) have no shortage of ideas. Usually, they have more ideas than they can ever possibly use. But, it’s not because they’ve had a longer life, or because they have kids supplying them with ideas, or even because they have some special talent that you don’t.
Nope! Ideas are everywhere, and the only thing I have that you might not is a bit more practice in noticing ideas when I see them. This is something you can learn to do, too! Soon, you will have more ideas than you know what to do with.

But, where are all of these ideas? How do you find them? I’ve got a few hints…

⭐️ Keep a diary…

I mean, I obviously had to start with that one, right? Keeping a diary like Nikki’s is great for so many things, and one of them is remembering the funny things that happen to you, the weird things, the sad things—and also the way you felt when these things happened. When you’re trying to come up with an idea for a story, a great place to start is by going through your diary and looking for the past events you have a strong emotional response to—whether that’s tears or laughter.

💡 Wonder what if…

A big part of being a storyteller is having an active sense of wonder. If you’re still growing up, you’re ahead of the game—kids are generally better at wonder than adults. If you’re not naturally curious, it’s something you can build. Take the time when you learn new things, meet new people, or see something interesting on the street to wonder. Learn about earthquakes…and wonder what would happen to your family if a major earthquake hit your town. Meet someone who builds model airplanes…and wonder what would happen if their model airplanes suddenly started flying around the room on their own. See a boy and girl having an argument across the street…and wonder if they’re siblings or friends or crushes and what their argument is about and how it will be resolved. Ideas are truly everywhere you turn!

🤓 Observe people…

As suggested above, the people around us can provide some of the richest material for our stories. These might be people you already know, like I’ve found inspiration in my kids and the kids they grew up with. There might also be people you never speak to but who pique your interest. Maybe there’s an old man you always see working in his garden when you walk home from school, or a kid on your bus with a super unique sense of style, or a cashier at the grocery store who never stops talking. Notice people, and jot down notes about them. Even if you don’t think of a story the moment you see them, you never know when they might turn into a character in a story down the line.

🙂 Pay attention to current events…

I know, “current events” sounds like something teachers go on and on about in school. But world events can really feed your creativity! I’m not just talking about things like wars and politics, either. In the last couple months, you might have read in online news about  a) the discovery of water on Mars (which is an indication that living creatures of some sort could possibly live there—and that could lead to a cool sci-fi story!),  b) the story of an aquarium coral that when exposed to the air releases a toxic gas that can kill a person who inhales it—a mystery in the making! Or  c) the discovery of a South African plant that makes seeds that look and smell exactly like antelope poop in order to fool dung beetles. I don’t even know what kind of story you might write about that, but someone should write something!

Those are just some of the ways you can find ideas. The blank page can seem intimidating, but once you get into the habit of noticing ideas, the problem will be finding time to write them all. I hope this helps!

Where do you get YOUR ideas, and what type of story would you like to write?

Please post your comments below.

5,430 Comments Category: I Heart Writing Tags: writing tipsnikki

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Comments

  1. dorkydramaqueen67 says

    March 5, 2021 at 11:21 am

    i love this article! thanks, RRR

    Reply to this comment
  2. dorkydramaqueen says

    March 5, 2021 at 11:15 am

    i am sooo glad i found this article! i love to write, i want to be an author when i grow up…. its just.. thanks RRR!

    Reply to this comment
  3. dorkydramaqueen says

    March 5, 2021 at 11:14 am

    lol i loveeee book 7!

    Reply to this comment
  4. Anonymous says

    March 5, 2021 at 11:13 am

    i love these books! they are awesome!!!

    Reply to this comment
  5. NIKKI BRANDON says

    March 4, 2021 at 10:51 am

    ok I AM UPPSESED WITH THESE BOOKS!!!!!!

    Reply to this comment
    • The.Local.Dork. says

      March 4, 2021 at 8:03 pm

      LOL me too NIKKI BRANDON!

  6. THE DORK FOR DORK DIARIES! says

    March 4, 2021 at 9:50 am

    OMG!!! Im so happy i found this on the back of the dork diaries book thank u sooo much Rachel Renee Russell!!! IM SO HAPPY I FOUND THIS.
    I Like writing to and i wright stuff i make my own books but nit for anyone but me! I would LOVE to wright these seaires of books they r so interesting to read I NEED TO FINE OUT IF BRANDON DATES NIKKI I HAVE TO FIND OUT!!

    Reply to this comment
  7. dorkfan says

    March 4, 2021 at 8:07 am

    when i try i van not think of anything …. where like where do u get your ideas

    Reply to this comment
  8. Thecakegirl8 says

    March 3, 2021 at 2:31 pm

    OMG I Luv to write but i dont know what to write ABOUT!!! Can You Help Me Think Of An Idea?!!!

    O_o

    Reply to this comment
    • Clarra says

      March 3, 2021 at 8:08 pm

      Hi Where do you get your ideas from it’s so hard I want to write my own story like you

    • Meany says

      March 3, 2021 at 9:41 pm

      Oh come on! Really?!

    • THE DORK FOR DORK DIARIES! says

      March 4, 2021 at 9:54 am

      you know what u can do ANYTHING if you just believe and when you believe it could happen

    • The.Local.Dork. says

      March 4, 2021 at 8:06 pm

      Maybe a new dork named…hmm Emily?Or maybe a popular girl like mackenzie but inside is a dork! .^.

  9. Dork girl 1617 says

    March 3, 2021 at 11:00 am

    So my brother wants to be a author and he is really good at writing good books but I want to write my own story but I need help . plez help me ‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️

    Reply to this comment
  10. ' says

    March 3, 2021 at 10:59 am

    So my brother wants to be a author and he is really good at writing good books but I want to write my own story but I need help . plez help me ‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️‍♀️

    Reply to this comment
  11. I Luv Chloe And Zoe says

    March 3, 2021 at 7:21 am

    I am writing my family a story actually. I am writing this book called the magical truth

    Reply to this comment
  12. Nikki J Maxwell says

    March 3, 2021 at 5:48 am

    Awesome

    Reply to this comment
  13. OMGIAMSODORKY says

    March 3, 2021 at 12:34 am

    MY HERO!!!!!

    Reply to this comment
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