Talk, talk, talk

Talking to people can yield up subtle details and observations that you simply can't get anywhere else. I was able to visit a taxidermist recently to do some research for my upcoming books Sleepwalker and Insomniac. I think seeing his space and talking to him in person gave me a lot more information to play with than it would have if I'd just emailed him a couple of questions.

Digging through forums

When it's impractical to talk to someone in person—either you don't have time, or the subject matter is too obscure, or it's a bit scary—you can usually find forums related to your subject matter where people in the same situation as your characters are giving each other advice. I used forums to get info on chemical castration and pelvic injuries.

Ideas are like...

It's funny, the ideas non-writers think would make good stories. I seldom agree! I also noticed that non-writers (or wannabe writers) tend to overvalue the idea. Yes, you can't write without an idea, but think of all the stuff you have to do to get a story once the idea is in place:

• learn the craft of writing
• write it
• find a market for it
• pitch it
• sell it
• edit it
• market it
• maintain your web presence on Facebook, LJ, Twitter, Goodreads, etc.

The idea is such a small part of the process!

Spew 'em out

I'll bet you can come up with more ideas than you think, even if you're stuck. Come up with 10 ideas today, and allow them to be stupid because you don't have to use them all. Do the same tomorrow, and the next day. 10 anything-ideas. At the end of three days, I'll bet you end up with a few really good ones that merit further development!

Your Assignment

Ask an open-ended question to someone you already know pretty well, and pay attention to the sorts of details they give in their answers. Start training yourself to be a perceptive listener.

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