Inspiration Strikes from the Unknown
Stephen King, that fabulous author wrote in his book On Writing: “let’s get one thing clear right now shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no island of the Buried Best Sellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky… … your job isn’t to find these ideas but to recognise them when they show up.” This is the essence of how a book idea begins—unseen, unsummoned, but suddenly undeniable.
The Birth of Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling visualised her first Harry Potter book when it flashed through her mind when on a train from Manchester to London.
Apparently, time stood still, for the determined but unknown author, as she witnessed it, film-like within her mind.
How Ideas Whisper Before They Speak Loudly
Many brainstorm. Others ‘feel’ a book. Recently an idea came to me of a book – it was just a whisper. Three days later I was talking to someone who started to discuss that very topic of my potential book, and when she said, “I would love to write this but I can’t”, I took notice.
A few days later, as I was walking a bush trail, it came to me again, this time not as a whisper but quite forcibly. Thereafter, for the duration of my walk my mind played with the ideas of the book. When I returned home, I sat down for an hour with an A3 sheet of paper and outlined the work (topics, research, interviews, etc.). I was excited but have put it aside – to sit with it for a while. I am still sitting with it – it can take some time!
Stories That Want to Be Told
From the introduction of the book, The Intelligence, “Whilst researching this story, I learnt that a story finds a teller and it will not rest until told. Creating a story entails ‘deep’ listening. To hear beyond the conscious mind – avoiding rational mode – past prejudges – beyond conforming – circumventing our hypnosis – through left brain limitation – to listen to that which is beyond us – to gain the ‘power’ of what bubbles below – to feel the story. Therefore, you ‘listen’ a story into existence. I have heard of people meditating or dreaming book concepts into life, or often they might be reading something else when an associated idea bursts through. Many authors pick up ideas for new books from research they conducted from a past book. Others have gleaned a lead for a book from a newspaper article. Experienced and practical authors know that these are exciting moments and acknowledge them by writing them down before they disappear.
Knowing When It’s the Right Book
And how do you know if your book idea is the right book for you to write? The answer is that most often you don’t until you start writing it. It is then that you realise how much you resonate with the work and how much information you have on the topic. Usually, you do not have to write for too long to come to this realisation. Another way to know is when it will not let you go, much like that extract from the introduction above. It will nag at you like a dog with a ball. At first the dog may drop the ball some meters from you. If you don’t respond he’ll pick it up and drop it closer, until in the end he will put the slobbery thing right on your feet, and do those funny little dancing shuffles that dogs do when they want you to do something for them – this is hard to ignore.
When you have a book idea that does that to you, you can be sure this is one that you must look into. Another indication that this is the right book for you is when you keep realising you are already writing it in your mind, such as when in the shower, riding a bike, driving your car, or awakened at three AM with more ideas on the book.
American writer Tracy Chevalier wrote, The Virgin Blue (1997), which was a moderate success, but her second book (written in only eight months), Girl With a Pearl Earring (1999), was a best-seller. Speaking about writing, Chevalier said, “Don’t write about what you know — write about what you’re interested in. Don’t write about yourself — you aren’t as interesting as you think.”
Conclusion
Stories are alive in their own way. They find us when we’re ready—sometimes whispering, sometimes shouting, but always inviting us to listen. Whether the spark arrives on a quiet train ride, a bush trail walk, or a midnight dream, it is our job to recognise it, respect it, and respond. Because when a story won’t let you go, that’s the one worth writing.
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