A Word with Doug Wilhelm

This week a middle schooler emailed me this question:

I cant think of anything to write about.  So, I was wondering how you thought of what to write about in all of your books?

It can be hard to understand where ideas come from, and how to develop them, and what to do when you don’t seem to have any. Nobody has all the answers to these mysteries, but here is how I answered this seventh grader:

Yes, the idea can sometimes be the most elusive thing, the hardest thing to find. I don’t think you can “think of” anything to write about. I really don’t! You have to pay attention to what’s going on, both outside you and inside.

Keep a writer’s notebook. Start to write down things you notice, things that inspire you, ideas you have. If you read or hear something that really strikes you, take out your notebook, write that thing down, then write about it for ten minutes. Don’t stop, just let stuff come up! You’re learning to flow with yourself, and with noticing your life. This, as far as I can tell, is where ideas come from.

Before long, you’ll realize how many ideas you actually have. When one seems like it might be a story, write about that for ten minutes. Ask yourself “What if” questions. “What if the girl was in, hmmm, this situation? What if she did that? What if she had a friend who …”

Write these questions down, and then write what they make you think about. Just keep flowing with it. You don’t have to answer every “what if” question, you’re just growing an idea. There are no rules for this, except that the more energy you give to this mysterious process, and the more space you let it have in your life, the more it will develop and your ideas will grow. Before long you may very well realize that you’re ready to start writing a story.

I also would think about writing a story, or stories, rather than a book. If it grows into something long enough to be a book, great — but it’s always a story, and writing stories is always what you need to be thinking about, as a fiction writer. A good short story that really works and that you’re proud of is going to be a much, much more valuable and helpful experience, for a young writer, than getting 40 pages into a book and then running out of gas or growing frustrated and giving up because it’s too much work and takes too long and you lose interest.

You build up to being able to write longer pieces, just like you build up being able to run longer distances, play an instrument for a longer piece, or dance a longer time. Just like you wouldn’t want to try to run ten miles the first time you go running, if you start writing by trying to write a book, you’ll probably become exhausted and have to give up. And that wouldn’t be a good thing! Write things that you can start and finish. Ask people for feedback. Go back to them and make them better. In time, you’ll be able to make better and better stories … and that’s the important thing, not how long or short they are.

I hope this is helpful!

best,

doug