More than once I’ve been asked how I got an idea for a story. Sometimes an idea comes in a flash and I completely write it out. (Pantsing) Most of the time ideas come to me in bits and pieces. (Plot) This post will answer the HOW part of my idea process and mention the person or thing that inspired the story.
Where Did The Idea For The Story “What’s My Name?” Come From?
World Building And A Snack:
A coworker brought to work homemade babka. I called it a pastry in the story but babka is a dense bread that’s swirled with chocolate or cinnamon. The one pictured is a creative adaption of it swirled with blue cheese and buffalo sauce. After tasting some, I decided it was going to be in my story. **The idea came from a tasty breakfast.**
While building my world I remembered a 1950s Warner Brothers cartoon with Buggs Bunny and Elmer J. Fudd. In that cartoon future, Smellevision replaced Television. That animation gave me the idea to make Holographic video equipment in my world that recreates smells at a crime scene. **The idea came from a cartoon.**
In a comment, a reader mentioned to me that my work in progress (WIP) should have a villain with a twitching eye. That comment gave me the idea to give my antagonist a hornet tattoo on his eyelid. (Below is the best photo I could get of a hornet tattoo on skin. Nobody volunteered to put one on their eyelid for the pic) Twitching made the wings appear to move. Thank you, Petra Jacob, for putting that idea in my head. **The idea came from her comment.**
I hope my blog, Fictionista, encourages you as a writer to look for and use writing ideas from every source. Boldly bring to life your world-building and story descriptions. If you want to know how I got the idea for any of my other stories, let me know. Feedback will encourage more posting. Happy Writing!
Fictionista 
Great to hear your voice! I love how a whole story can come out of something small that sets the imagination going. And I’m super chuffed I gave you some inspiration, I’m always happy to have nudged a great storyteller 🙂
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It came about because you comment on my work so I thank you for the inspiration.🤗
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My pleasure!
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I always love reading your work – loved the way you weaved the different dimensions here
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Thank you Shantanu. I apply the feedback 🤗
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You surely do and do it well 😊
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Ooo babka sounds pretty tasty! I guess we might have something similar-ish but really nothing quite like that over here in the UK. It’s fascinating to see how you capture and mould ideas from different places, whether it be a comment, cartoon or tasty foodstuff. The world is full of sources for inspiration if we know how to see them and appreciate them. Really interesting post, Darnell! I’d love to read more about your idea origins if you ever plan to write similar again.
Caz xx
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I will do so as long as there is interest 😊 thanks for reading and commenting.
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It’s hard to trace sometimes, big jumps in logic come off a random idea or image. Fun post! 🙂
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It was Alex 🤗
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It’s always fascinating to find out how other writers work and where their ideas come from. Sometimes it’s quite hard to pinpoint (for me, anyway). I’m useless at plotting but once I come up with a character the ideas start to flow.
But tell us more… about your vampire hunting bakery stories… where the did they come from and will there be more? (hope so) 🙂
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Okay, I’ll put something together on where the Yum-Yum stories came from.🤗 Thanks for the interest.
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I look forward to it!
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Well said…
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Thanks. I think so too.😉
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Oh my gosh, I love the way your mind works! A hornet tattooed on his eyelid! 😳
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That was fun!😅
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