That's right. Hundreds and hundreds. And those are just the authors who've 'broken through' to publishing. Self-evidently it takes something really, really special to make your favourite books stick in your mind, doesn't it? There are probably plenty of stories you've read which you liked at the time, but now can't really remember - because they were pretty much like all the others. They weren't original.
Originality is a challenge in any kind of writing - making familiar themes fresh and unique in their own way. Total, complete originality does not really exist in writing, and any claim to it is somewhat suspect; Tolkien himself (you know the guy, don't you?) drew heavily on Norse and Celtic mythology, just two examples, when he created his Middle-Earth. But the measure of a good author's skill is their talent for drawing on old ideas and breathing new life into them, letting the reader see them in a new shape. You can't invent dragons, but you can decide what they look like, how they act - whatever you want.
Myths, legends and folklore can provide moral tales that you can even modernise. Adapt the meaning and the message behind the story for your own purposes.
So, one of the most important things is to be original while finding inspiration in the familiar. You must also have a good story idea. Unless you have a strong, focused idea, you will likely run out of steam around page 30. You have to be excited by the idea. It must matter to you. The old advice is "write what you know". This shouldn't be taken literally. Rather, 'write what you can identify with'. This particularly applies in the fantasy of genre.But you do know a great deal, and that is a good place to start. Ideas can come from many places.
Personal experience
Actual experience
What-if personal experience
Philosophical conclusion based on experience
Something we heard about
History
A friend's suggestion
Strong feelings against something
Strong feelings for something
Current event
Chance incident
Desire for adventure
New inventions
Social upheavals
Strong interest in some business
Songs can also act as inspiration, try listening to the lyrics of a song that you enjoy, or you find emotionally stimulating, it might provide some usefull ideas. Even the mood of the song may help you think of how to create that mood in your story.
Look around you! Even though this may sound really silly, but there are so many things out there that could easily inspire you, like your favorite place, a historical site, even the seaside. Go out and give it a try!
Story Idea Exercises
In a single sentence, explain what the novel is about.
How do you feel about this subject ?
Do you know enough already to write this novel?
If not, what are you going to do about this lack of knowledge?
Detail a plan of action.
Do you know enough about the people involved to write the novel?
If not, why do you feel motivated to write this novel in spite of not knowing enough about the people involved?
Myths and legends can be good sources of information and ideas, maybe reading some could give you a new perspective for the story or for a certain character(s).
There is nothing wrong with being inspired by other authors, but don't think that you can't write like Victor Hugo or JRR Tolkien, as everyone has there own personal and individual writing style, so don't become intimidated, and everyone prefers to write in different styles. Just keep writing! It's fun, and definitly worth a try.
