Finding Ideas During Quarantine

With a little more time on my hands lately, a friend and I decided to take a writer’s course by a well-known MG author. The first lesson was appropriately called “Finding Ideas.” For many of us, ideas may come naturally. Through things we see and hear in other people, newsworthy events, or dreams. Inspiration may even just pop into our heads while we’re doing something completely unrelated, like buttering our toast. But let’s face it, one of the well-known pieces of advice to all authors is to watch and listen everywhere you go, then record these events in your notebook or journal that you keep in the car or in the bag that never leaves your side.  

Well, that’s great, but what about for those of us who haven’t had the blessed opportunity to leave our homes in weeks other than an occasional trip to the grocery store? So much more time, so much less opportunity. Or is there?

Finding ideas during quarantine may be more of a challenge, but not impossible. Here are a few tips.

First, dig back into your past—way back. The author of my course encourages writers to use their own lives. While I’m sure we’ve all done that already to some degree, have you really dug deep into your past? As far back as you can remember? Recently, a horrible scene replayed in my mind from thirty years ago bringing up the same feelings of guilt I had back then. A small group of us caddy girls had a problem with our fourth grade teacher having a “teacher’s pet.” When we approached the teacher about it he called a class meeting after recess one day to discuss it. The poor girl sat in her seat crying, mortified by the whole thing. At one time she had been my friend. She had been part of our little group. But jealousy and hurt took over and we created a very memorable afternoon. I had forgotten all about it, probably repressing it so the guilt wouldn’t eat me up. Looking at it now, this might actually be a great chapter for a story.

If you don’t remember much about your past, think about the last time you went to the grocery store or anywhere in public. What did the atmosphere feel like? Were there people avoiding each other? Kids hanging out, sitting on opposite sides of the driveway? What happened when someone went down the wrong aisle at the store? Lord have mercy!

Being in quarantine has made me miss people. Not that I don’t love my family, but I like to talk to people. So I try to make a few phone calls each week. You might find a storyline in a conversation with your friend—of course, we don’t want to be the ones to reveal dark family secrets, though.

Ideas are flying all around us. Sure, we might need to dig a little deeper to find them, but they are there, hidden gems waiting to be revealed!

Do you have another way of finding ideas? Have you discovered your own hidden gems during quarantine? I’d love to hear about it.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash