Indie Authors Monthly Magazine For Authors and Readers discussion

Novelists are often asked how they get their plot ideas. I get many of the plots for my science thrillers to pop into my noggin from extensive reading about science and technology. However, sometimes the idea will come before any research, often as little more than a phrase or sentence. I’ve found “What if…?” questions to be the most fruitful.

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Yup. Completely agree!

FWIW, I think of it as akin to jazz. Take a known melody (that is, a known thing or event), then improvise (= ask the "what if" question). If you do this frequently, you get better at it. I use it not only for general plot ideas but also for ideas within specific scenes, ideas for characters, and so on. Try out the variations!

I just wait change news these days, you couldn't make up half the stuff you see in the news