From Spark to Story
A Writer's Guide to Starting Anything New
Hey Readers!
It’s a new year and that can only mean one thing: new stories, of course! I am certain that each of you has a story inside you, ready to be lived and shared. Whether it’s starting a new venture or learning from the past, you have the power inside you to push past the boundaries you’ve put on yourself to make your dreams come true.
But it will be a process.
Unfortunately, that’s the hard part. Every great thing really starts with taking the first step. And then the next and the next. And often, that process is tedious and slow. At least when you are just starting out.
Kind of like writing a book.
I’m often asked by readers, where do you get your ideas? What inspired you to write your book? How can I get started?
Whether you’re a writer, a reader, an entrepreneur, or just trying to turn your life in a more positive direction, it all starts with an idea. That spark of an idea that you could do something more. Be something more. Create more. Or maybe shed the things that aren’t serving you. But how do you get there?
Since I’m a writer, I thought I’d share the first step of my writing process with you. Why? Because the writing process isn’t just for writing books. It can be used for any goal. You can use it to rewrite your life.
Step One: Dream
That’s right! Sounds so simple it’s silly, right? But it’s also true. I start writing each book by allowing myself to dream, reflect, and meditate on what I’d like to write next.
What does this look like? Well, it changes from book to book, but for All These Threads of Time, this is what I did.
First, I wrote every single-story idea I could think of. Even the most ridiculous ideas. Some ideas were half ideas, others more detailed. I thought about the kinds of stories I liked most, what themes I was obsessed with, and what kind of story I wanted to tell. I knew I wanted to write a mystery. I wanted the opponent to be a surprise. I wanted to write about grief, and how families and individuals can work through trauma and horrific situations with faith and strength.
I’ll never forget when the idea of Sylvie investigating her sister’s murder came to my mind. I thought—what if the killer was a time traveler? I almost didn’t write the idea down because my first reaction was it was a ridiculous idea. But the idea nagged at me. So, I wrote it down. I kept going back to it. I realized after a couple of days of doing this; it was the story I had to write. The rest is history!
Key Point: Every new venture starts with an idea, no matter how simple, vague, or even “ridiculous” it feels at first. In fact, sometimes, the most ridiculous ideas are the best ones. Allow yourself to explore all of your ideas. Write them down. Mediate on them. Go back to the ones that keep calling out to you. Chances are, those ideas are ones you need to follow.
Step Two: Choose Your Idea
Once you’ve got your list, look it over. What resonates with you? Choose one idea to focus on. Then, clarify it.
For example, back to my writing process. When I first had my idea that the killer would be a time traveler, I needed to clarify that idea. I did this by creating a story premise. This is the process where a writer uncovers what the story is really about. What is the hero’s weakness? What do they want? What do they need? Who is stopping them? What is the twist that makes the story unique?
You can use this same process in life, whatever goal you have. What is your weakness? What do you want? What do you need? Who or what is stopping you? What unique way can you navigate your dilemma?
As an author, I journal the answers to these questions. Then, I craft a premise that encompasses these various aspects into an easy to remember one liner. For example, in All These Threads of Time, my premise was:
“When a teenage girl investigates the crimes of the serial killer that murdered her sister, she discovers the killer uses time travel to commit his crimes.”
Her weakness? She’s young. Her want? To find the murderer that killed her sister. Her need? To know the truth. Who was stopping her? A time traveling serial killer, of course. The stakes were high. How do you stop a time traveling serial killer?
In life, you can use a similar concept to identify what you want and what is holding you back. Think of yourself like a character in a story. If you were writing your life, what kind of story would you write?
Step 3: Identify Your Challenges
Make a list of your obstacles. Then, highlight the ones you think you can easily overcome. Circle the ones that will take more time. Brainstorm the simple solutions first and start there. Maybe your problem is you need more time, so you decide to wake up earlier. Or maybe you lack knowledge in a certain aspect of your business idea, so you make a list of people and/or books, blogs, or other ways to find that knowledge. It’s all about identifying your goal and finding simple ways to get started working on it.
Next, outline your steps. This is exactly what I do when plotting a novel. Once I have my premise, I outline. What other characters are in the story? What obstacles will the hero face? How or will the hero overcome these obstacles?
For your goals, you can use an outline too. Who can you bring on your team to help? What challenges might you face? Brainstorm a list of how you can navigate those expected issues. You can’t control everything, but what can you do?
Just don’t forgot this Key Point:
Don’t overwhelm yourself. Set realistic expectations. Remember, small steps. Don’t feel the pressure of having everything worked out from the start. It’s a process. Repeat that to yourself over and over. It’s a process to grow. A process to create. Give yourself permission to mess up and fail. It’s the ability to learn from mistakes and get back up to try again that counts.
Step 4: Patience is key.
When I’m writing a book, I get really excited about my premise once it’s complete. I want the book to be written now! The problem? It takes time. Time for me to sort through the story beats, solve the puzzle. Especially since I write mysteries . . . I have to solve the puzzle and think about how to hide the truth from the reader so they can figure it out themselves by reading the story. This takes a tremendous amount of skill and work. I find the process daunting.
You can say the same about life as you pursue your goals. It can and will take effort. Embrace the journey. Know that when you start out, things may be uncertain. You will feel uncomfortable. You’ll wonder what the heck you are doing. You will feel like a fraud. It’s just part of the process.
Keep going.
The only way your story gets written is if you keep writing it.
So, what are you waiting for? Get up and get your notebook. Start plotting your dreams. Be the author of your own story! You can rewrite your life.
You never know where an idea can lead.
What do you think? Do you have any tips on how you get started on something new? Share in the comments!
Until then, stay tuned for more posts in the coming months on this very topic. I’ll take you step by step through my writing process and how you can apply these methods to any goal in your life.
But wait, there’s more!
Looking into 2025 . . . we’ll visit more historic author homes (Emerson, Dickinson, Wharton, to name a few . . .), uncover health and wellness tips, poetry, stories, essays, and interviews from fellow creatives and entrepreneurs.
And don’t forget you can connect with other subscribers by posting on the A Busy Lady chat below. Stop by and say hi! Let’s build our community together.
Till Next Time,
Sarah
AKA A Busy Lady
P.S. A great fiction book I am reading that goes along with the ideas in this post is What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by: Michiko Aoyama. Filled with short stories about characters each trying to dig themselves out of a rut to make their dreams come true, they find the inspiration they need from books recommended to them by an intuitive librarian. It’s a fun read that is sure to inspire!
P.P.S. A special thank you to Author Kelsey Gietl for including me in her list of favorite reads in 2024, featured in her author newsletter this week. Also, a special thank you to A Literary Eye Substack as well for mentioning me and this Subsack on your list of 2025 authors! Also, check out my latest interview, here!
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wonderful piece...
I’ve been feeling stuck and this piece gave me some guideposts to get unstuck—and hope. Thank you!