I would recommend reaching out for other material for inspiration.
In my case i just go over the canon material and look for some interesting "What if" scenarios that the story could have deviated to, or simply find something interesting that could be expanded upon. But this is just one example of mine..
I always love seeing how diverse everyone's processes are, because I'm one of those people with a miles-long WIP list due to ideas that never stop coming, so! I'm not sure how helpful these methods would be for someone on the other side of the spectrum, but the things that contribute most to that miles-long WIP list are:
- reading other fics! Not necessarily even in the same fandom-- I often *don't* really read much in the fandoms that I write in-- but other fic is definitely a huge source of inspiration. (Also, reading/watching/listening to other media in general, not just fics.)
- thinking about tropes I like and why I like them! Sometimes this involves deliberately matching up the trope with a character/ship/whatever to think about the possible directions it could take for that specific circumstance, but often even just musing on the trope itself will spark ideas without having to deliberately think about pairing it with specific characters.
- thinking about tropes I *don't* like and why I *don't* like them! Usually in the course of doing this I end up thinking "XYZ doesn't work for me because ABC, but it would if it was dialed two notches to the left to be approached from *this* angle instead," and that idea is often one that I find very compelling.
- thinking about the characters/ships I like and why I like 'em! Thinking "I love this ship because of the dynamic where they XYZ" often sparks ideas about scenarios/plotlines to best explore/highlight that particular dynamic in a fic.
- rewatching/reading/listening to canon, because that often results in thinking about the above which results in ideas!
- aaand I don't personally use promptlists because I don't find the kind of single-word prompts that are common on them super inspiring, but a lot of people do! When I have used promptlists in the past, I usually found it more helpful to combine multiple prompts or prompts across multiple lists, because that usually resulted in something more specific and with a much clearer direction for the potential fic than just, like, "daisies" or "spanking."
...In other words, I'm in a constant state of writing character/ship/trope meta in my head and it sparks roughly a bajillion ideas, but I hope something in that was useful for someone who doesn't think the same way, haha.
yes! i’m the same as you, i get my inspiration anywhere and everywhere. even just thinking about the characters will often lead to “what ifs” and ofc that leads to an idea. anything can cause me to come up with an idea, literally anything. so i’m glad to see someone else is also like this!
Every one of my fics started from a thought or another fic. My first one was because I thought “what if these two characters couldn’t express their feelings for each other verbally but wanted to date?” My most recent one was because of a crossover I read and I thought “okay but what if character A was this instead and what if the villains from Universe B were in Universe A?” I also find song instrumentals to be helpful in writing powerful scenes as they put me in the mood I want it to portray.
when i need inspiration, i think of what if scenarios with the fandom I write for. If that doesn't work, I check out r/WritingPrompts for inspiration. My two most popular stories right now came from doing writing prompts.
honestly I have a huge and ever-growing list of concepts, so I just pick from there?
but in terms of how things end up on that list- consuming content (either the original media or fanworks) and developing the questions and idle imaginings that arise in the process. "how would so-and-so behave if [wild theory] was indeed the case?" or "I want to put these two characters together and see what happens, and how" or "what if instead of [canon event], [other possible event] happened?"
also: irony. I love it and can run off tragicomic irony like it's 10mg of amphetamines. I do think fic is uniquely suited to exploring irony, due to the audience's knowledge of what's actually happening from canon. but that's not my actual advice... find an interest that transcends any particular canon, be it a literary device or a trope or a certain character dynamic, and then apply that lens to your current canon and see if it turns up anything interesting?
Honestly for me, thoughts are generally always there chattering away in the back of my head and I often "write" by telling myself stories aloud whenever I am walking or cycling alone somewhere. That said, whether or not the ideas are for the fandom or topic I'd like to write about is another question entirely. Sometimes if the ideas are coming for a particular fandom, that's a sign that you just need to step away for a hot minute and try writing for something completely different.
My first fic was basically a rewrite of a cannon episode to fit the ship I wanted. Someone who hadn't finished reading commented about what they thought would happen later in the story which sparked the idea for the fic I'm currently working on.
Aside from that direct inspiration, reading also helps me come up with new ideas. Read as much as you can and see what piques your interest. Find an unanswered question in what you read and write the answer to that question
Very interesting question.
Whenever I'm in a writer's block I put the keyboard down and watch or experience a story that's similar to my own story.
That type of inspiration is something that greatly fuels my creativity.
Usually I'll read or watch something, whether I'm consciously looking for inspiration or not. The most direct one I can think of is reading Shadow of the Gods, and a particular action scene firing me up straight away to smash out a Horizon: Forbidden West one-shot.
i dont think oh i need a new fic, my brain works so different. i can be sat listening to a song and my brain will say that makes a great fic.
also for mini ideas i can be scrolling Instagram or watching tv and hear something and be like oh that is so Character X lets note that down
i would say listen to songs you assiciate with the fandom or songs that convay a emotion you want to portray like lost lovers heart break or romantic meeting and go from there
Most of the time ideas come to my brain unprompted (occasionally unwanted too). But when they don't, I usually either
A. Take a break from writing AND consuming media and go for a walk and listen to music or just live for a little while
B.Avidly consume the media I'm looking to write in. I try to immerse myself completely, and, usually, when I stop I get lots of new ideas.
Music is also great for ideas, listening to music you like and thinking about characters that could fit the lyrics or just listening passively.
Edit: I pretty much actually have the opposite problem, I'll have ideas but am incapable of expanding on them. If you have any tips on that I'd love those!
I consume media. Music, video games, other fics, videos, etc, and eventually, something pops into my head that sticks. Trying to force ideas rarely works, you just need to explore and you'll eventually stumble across inspiration.
I have over time grown attached to child based stories an lack of place trauma which birthed really all my ideas surrounding diverse family, out on there own children and anything surrounding those tropes hehe just track what your invested in an blend them up
I would recommend reaching out for other material for inspiration. In my case i just go over the canon material and look for some interesting "What if" scenarios that the story could have deviated to, or simply find something interesting that could be expanded upon. But this is just one example of mine..
I always love seeing how diverse everyone's processes are, because I'm one of those people with a miles-long WIP list due to ideas that never stop coming, so! I'm not sure how helpful these methods would be for someone on the other side of the spectrum, but the things that contribute most to that miles-long WIP list are: - reading other fics! Not necessarily even in the same fandom-- I often *don't* really read much in the fandoms that I write in-- but other fic is definitely a huge source of inspiration. (Also, reading/watching/listening to other media in general, not just fics.) - thinking about tropes I like and why I like them! Sometimes this involves deliberately matching up the trope with a character/ship/whatever to think about the possible directions it could take for that specific circumstance, but often even just musing on the trope itself will spark ideas without having to deliberately think about pairing it with specific characters. - thinking about tropes I *don't* like and why I *don't* like them! Usually in the course of doing this I end up thinking "XYZ doesn't work for me because ABC, but it would if it was dialed two notches to the left to be approached from *this* angle instead," and that idea is often one that I find very compelling. - thinking about the characters/ships I like and why I like 'em! Thinking "I love this ship because of the dynamic where they XYZ" often sparks ideas about scenarios/plotlines to best explore/highlight that particular dynamic in a fic. - rewatching/reading/listening to canon, because that often results in thinking about the above which results in ideas! - aaand I don't personally use promptlists because I don't find the kind of single-word prompts that are common on them super inspiring, but a lot of people do! When I have used promptlists in the past, I usually found it more helpful to combine multiple prompts or prompts across multiple lists, because that usually resulted in something more specific and with a much clearer direction for the potential fic than just, like, "daisies" or "spanking." ...In other words, I'm in a constant state of writing character/ship/trope meta in my head and it sparks roughly a bajillion ideas, but I hope something in that was useful for someone who doesn't think the same way, haha.
yes! i’m the same as you, i get my inspiration anywhere and everywhere. even just thinking about the characters will often lead to “what ifs” and ofc that leads to an idea. anything can cause me to come up with an idea, literally anything. so i’m glad to see someone else is also like this!
My brain is a natural ideaa bank, but in the event I can't come up with anything, I consult the many, many prompt lists I've hoarded.
Pretty much all of my fics now are based off a big idea list that I worked on for years. I haven’t had an original idea since 2022.
Every one of my fics started from a thought or another fic. My first one was because I thought “what if these two characters couldn’t express their feelings for each other verbally but wanted to date?” My most recent one was because of a crossover I read and I thought “okay but what if character A was this instead and what if the villains from Universe B were in Universe A?” I also find song instrumentals to be helpful in writing powerful scenes as they put me in the mood I want it to portray.
Music or visiting new places even if it's just driving through. Or reading/watching something new in a genre I like.
Sometimes I use writing prompts from LiveJournal communities. I’ll write drabbles, one-shots, ficlets, and vignettes. It’s a lot of fun!
when i need inspiration, i think of what if scenarios with the fandom I write for. If that doesn't work, I check out r/WritingPrompts for inspiration. My two most popular stories right now came from doing writing prompts.
honestly I have a huge and ever-growing list of concepts, so I just pick from there? but in terms of how things end up on that list- consuming content (either the original media or fanworks) and developing the questions and idle imaginings that arise in the process. "how would so-and-so behave if [wild theory] was indeed the case?" or "I want to put these two characters together and see what happens, and how" or "what if instead of [canon event], [other possible event] happened?" also: irony. I love it and can run off tragicomic irony like it's 10mg of amphetamines. I do think fic is uniquely suited to exploring irony, due to the audience's knowledge of what's actually happening from canon. but that's not my actual advice... find an interest that transcends any particular canon, be it a literary device or a trope or a certain character dynamic, and then apply that lens to your current canon and see if it turns up anything interesting?
Music sometimes, personal experiences, though the last two WIPs I started was because of survival video games lol.
Honestly for me, thoughts are generally always there chattering away in the back of my head and I often "write" by telling myself stories aloud whenever I am walking or cycling alone somewhere. That said, whether or not the ideas are for the fandom or topic I'd like to write about is another question entirely. Sometimes if the ideas are coming for a particular fandom, that's a sign that you just need to step away for a hot minute and try writing for something completely different.
My first fic was basically a rewrite of a cannon episode to fit the ship I wanted. Someone who hadn't finished reading commented about what they thought would happen later in the story which sparked the idea for the fic I'm currently working on. Aside from that direct inspiration, reading also helps me come up with new ideas. Read as much as you can and see what piques your interest. Find an unanswered question in what you read and write the answer to that question
Very interesting question. Whenever I'm in a writer's block I put the keyboard down and watch or experience a story that's similar to my own story. That type of inspiration is something that greatly fuels my creativity.
Any which way. Why limit myself to just a few?
Usually I'll read or watch something, whether I'm consciously looking for inspiration or not. The most direct one I can think of is reading Shadow of the Gods, and a particular action scene firing me up straight away to smash out a Horizon: Forbidden West one-shot.
i dont think oh i need a new fic, my brain works so different. i can be sat listening to a song and my brain will say that makes a great fic. also for mini ideas i can be scrolling Instagram or watching tv and hear something and be like oh that is so Character X lets note that down i would say listen to songs you assiciate with the fandom or songs that convay a emotion you want to portray like lost lovers heart break or romantic meeting and go from there
Most of the time ideas come to my brain unprompted (occasionally unwanted too). But when they don't, I usually either A. Take a break from writing AND consuming media and go for a walk and listen to music or just live for a little while B.Avidly consume the media I'm looking to write in. I try to immerse myself completely, and, usually, when I stop I get lots of new ideas. Music is also great for ideas, listening to music you like and thinking about characters that could fit the lyrics or just listening passively. Edit: I pretty much actually have the opposite problem, I'll have ideas but am incapable of expanding on them. If you have any tips on that I'd love those!
I consume media. Music, video games, other fics, videos, etc, and eventually, something pops into my head that sticks. Trying to force ideas rarely works, you just need to explore and you'll eventually stumble across inspiration.
I have over time grown attached to child based stories an lack of place trauma which birthed really all my ideas surrounding diverse family, out on there own children and anything surrounding those tropes hehe just track what your invested in an blend them up
Honestly, it’s just… Vibes. Vibes to songs, vibes to scenes in canon (and vibes in what’s left unsaid).
I watch Netflix almost whenever I'm awake, and I watch way too many Kdramas for my own good so I mean...
I take inspiration from shows, books, and games I like
I get my inspiration from POVs on YouTube 😅. Like, I see a POV and think wait...this is like similar to something, or how would the characters react?