How do I know when I have a good idea?
Do you remember in the Spiderman cartoons when Spiderman knows someone needs his help when his spider sense ‘tingles’? Well, the same thing happens to me when I get a good idea. I just get a sense this idea is something worth exploring and I create a little space on my laptop and write down everything I think of. I then add to that folder over the months and years, as I think the ideas turn into great ideas when you let them gestate.
It is simple but so many of us don’t even do this. They rely on working memory and ideas tend to become forgotten or undeveloped. So here I am to reassure you with a little list of things to look out for so you know when you have a good idea.
Trust Yourself
The great director Billy Wilder said:
“Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone’s else’s.”
Go with your instinct. Even if the idea later doesn’t turn into a story you’re happy with you’ll learn from it. And that’s the quickest way to learn. And at the end of the day, producers want originality and you are original. So if an idea you have that goes a different way, stick with it.
If the idea affects you emotionally, there will be someone else out there who will fill the same way to. Write for you, not for others.
Look for the Ending
Your story will tend to be judged mainly on the ending. It’s what the audience will remember the most as they leave the cinema or turn off the TV.
Many writers tend not to start writing until they know their ending. I can see the sense in that, an ending tends to convey the meaning of the film, and the climax of the film should be the moment that has us really engaged with the story.
The genre of your story might give you clues to the ending, and knowing the ending will also reveal to you a possible objective for the main character to try to achieve.
An ending that moves us, resolves the story in a surprising and satisfying way but don’t worry if the ending does come straight away, the endings for my ideas often come later in the project and often change from the original idea. And I’ve studied acclaimed writers who who find their ending as they write.
Originality
Some people sometimes want to debate originality and say nothing’s original and say “there’s only X amount of stories.” If you want to believe that fine, but look for an idea to see what is fresh about the topic you’re writing about.
Once I knew half way through writing a short film that the story was turning into something conventional and predictable. I wanted to stop as soon as I realised but instead I continued and finished it. Writing it all down allowed me to step back and analyse what was predictable about it. I quickly then saw how changing the genre turned the idea into something different and surprising.
Originality is not just one element, it is a mix of elements. Don’t not pick an idea because it’s been done before, maybe developing the idea will help you change the main character, the setting, or a certain plot point.
An idea may seem familiar but what the story may eventually say about this topic could be the most original aspect to the story. The great film director Alexander Payne selects his projects simply by being inspired about what he is writing about and what he wants to commit to film.
What do you want to commit to film?
Look for Surprises
All good stories will have surprises. I’m not just talking about huge twists that make you rethink everything that’s come before, but small surprises to. Anything that the audience would expect to happen, suddenly is reversed. This catches them off-guard and they should make them think “what will happen next?”
Surprises are your friends.
There are some more…
But I want to keep this post nice and short. If you’re interested though subscribe to my website and you’ll be the first to know future posts.
Thanks for reading.
There are some more…
But I want to keep this post nice and short. If you’re interested though subscribe to my website and you’ll be the first to know future posts.
Thanks for reading.
