Turning Real Life into Fiction

I get it all the time: “Where did you get that idea?”

I usually tell the person that I keep a journal and got it out of there. That’s the simple version. But, the truth is a bit more complicated. I usually combine a ton of things together for a story.

Example:

I’ve been thinking a lot about the fires in Fort McMurray. Specifically those videos where people are driving with the fire right beside them and sparks are raining down on their vehicles. So many writing possibilities here, both fictional and not.

I also know that sometimes frogs and fish fall from the sky with the rain.

I read an article about flying spiders.

 

There was a discussion a few years back about ousting Smokey the Bear as the official ‘Prevent Forest Fires’ icon.

These are ideas that could all join together very easily into a children’s story.

Or a few scenes from a thriller.

Or a poem. In which, I’ve already used the spiders.

THIS is why we writers keep journals. To keep little tidbits like the discussion about Smokey or the articles about flying spiders and about fish and frogs falling from the sky. I see so many possibilities here.