: Re: What is the best way to generate ideas? I want to write a novel, but I want to write that novel using my best idea currently... it's just that, I don't have an idea, at least not one that

@Sarah872

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I find that some of the best, most personal ideas come from dreams. I've kept a dream journal on and off since I was a teenager, and a lot of the strongest ideas that have stuck with me have come from its pages. Even if you don't currently remember your dreams, it's a learnable skill.

However, it seems to me that you might have two other issues that are getting in your way. First, you haven't even started writing yet, and already your internal editor is getting in your way. All writers know you have to turn your internal editor off in order to ever get any writing done. (One valuable piece of advice I recently learned for this is to write at the time of day you are most sleepy --for me, early morning --because your editor turns off at that time). The truth is that great books are made from great execution, not necessarily great ideas. Waiting too long for the perfect idea just means you never write anything.

The other issue is that it sounds like you are more invested in the idea of writing a novel than in doing the actual writing. I've definitely been in your shoes, and I can tell you from experience, just liking the idea of being an author doesn't take you all that far. My advice, if you really do want to write, is to be prepared to do a lot of less goal-oriented writing just to build up your skills. That way, when that killer idea does come knock on your door, you'll be ready and prepared to do it justice.

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