Stealing Ideas

I belong to an online writer's group. Recently a new person joined. Her first post said she had done the research she needed and gathered all the materials she needed and was ready to write. But she had no idea how to come up with a plot or develop characters.
I thought that was a strange question coming from a writer. We always have stories bouncing around in our brains. Instead of saying that, I suggested she steal some ideas. I mean, really, how many plots are there? Some say twelve, others say fifty. But most certainly, there aren't thousands. Writers have been stealing ideas for centuries.
Here' are some examples. I read a book about a cop and a serial killer and as I read, I continually thought, "If I'd written this, I would have done it this way." I read a series of romances, each of which had a naive young woman and an ugly hero who was quiet. Isn't that Beauty and the Beast? What if I wanted to write a book about a heroine who was misunderstood and continually in trouble because everyone saw her as a dangerous beast? Well, I'd start with 'The Green Mile' and start changing things until the story looked enitrely different. Maybe I'd describe the woman as disfigured from an auto accident so badly that people cringed when they looked at her. Then I'd give her some backstory that would be a motivation for practicing some deadly martial art. Then place her in a situation where she looks guilty over someone's death and have her go through the court process and all along, she could be doing wonderful things that only a few people see.
Hey, that's not bad. I just might use that.
There are stories around us every day. You have a story in you. Maybe about your alcoholic uncle Joe, or that neighbor who was always inviting kids into his house. Or maybe your story is about a road trip you took as a child or about a friendship that has lasted through some tragedy.
I think the truth is, it takes a writer to SEE the story, both the value of it, and the different sides.
So if you're thinking about writing, go with something familiar at first. Write a short story about helping tar a roof when you were five years old, or of escaping from the grip of a serial killer by the skin of your teeth, or being shot at for speaking out against some corrruption you're aware of. No wait--that's me again. I keep forgetting that not everyone has lived the crazy life I have. Go find your own story. If you're a writer, it won't be hard. After all, it's right there, in your head, just waiting for you to tell it.

The Writer's Mind

If you're ready to enter the mind of someone who hears voices, come on in. I became a writer when characters started telling me their stories. In meeting with other writers I've learned I"m not alone. We sometimes argue with the voices and often have to fight so they won't take over.

Imagine what it's like to live with someone who's always plotting murder! One day, my best friend and I, along with our husbands, were walking in the city park for exercise. The guys were a few paces ahead of my friend and I and we were discussing a problem with the latest work in progress (WIP). We knew the girl in the story couldn't get married if her dad was alive because he wouldn't allow it.

The story was an historical, you see, and the dad as all alone in the world except for his young daughter. So as we walked along it occurred to us that the old man had to die. When we began to plot his death, other people in the park took notice and our husbands abruptly walked a little faster and both at the same time said, "We're not with them."

While you might think writers are terribly strange people who talk to imaginary friends, I submit to you that, at least we have a viable, legal, harmess outlet for our anxieties. Can you say the same?