I sighed, a blank sheet of paper before me. It was almost as blank as my head at that moment. One article every month. I had taken for granted that I could keep on travelling to get ideas. But ever since unpredictable COVID lockdowns began, that had gone. We could not plan anything especially to coincide with my term breaks. No planes took off from the airport, border-crossing was allowed with strict quarantine restrictions. In other words, we were pretty much stuck. Had I known, this would also halt the stream of ideas entering my head, I would have started scavenging for them long ago. ‘Travelogues,’ the word repeatedly entered my head a million times. These had been the beating heart of my articles. I could explore new cultures, behold wonders of the world, roam wherever I felt, learn about history and much more about a country and I loved every bit of it. But now I struggled in vain to find a topic. The media is replete with articles – so many magazines, books, periodicals, papers, Internet; so of course there are a plethora of topics one could write about but yet I struggled to get even one idea. I realised that when one door closes, another opens. It finally dawned upon me how closed-minded I had been. Travelogues had been my comfort-zone. I knew how to write them, what their structure was, how to look for information etc. New ideas barely trickled into my mind. At first it seemed an impossible task, my thoughts constantly coming back to travelling. This was the key. I knew exactly what to write about: how to get ideas, because I am sure that many people have been in the same position as me, and it is very stressful. What are ideas? An idea is like the ignition to a creation. Even the smallest spark can get you on your way. Ideas could be anything under the sun. They help you in everything you do. The conceptualisation of an idea, whether it is for an article, an idea for solving your math problems, an idea for a new rocket design is the foundation for everything we do. That is the reason for which they are so important. Without an idea, no matter how big or small, you will get nowhere. But how do we get them? This is a seemingly complex question, though actually, it is easier than you may think. Of course, there seems to be no dearth of topics to choose from – this is evident from the plethora of articles being written everyday in newspapers, magazines, Internet media, blogs, etc. But the best ideas come from our own experiences. We may be young, but we go through a myriad of different emotions, feelings and experiences every day. There are many topics which we care about which is evident from the fact that we get happy, angry, relieved, sad throughout the day when we hear, see or experience our environment on a daily basis. These topics or experiences can subtly alter our lifestyle. If you have had a thought provoking experience, these thoughts and experiences can turn out to make some of the most powerful articles. A lot of authors are inspired from their experiences and use them in their books. So that is an excellent way to find some inspiration for ideas, and I hope it helps, because it has helped me a lot in this article as well.
writing process
Stone Soup Author Interview: Anya Interviews Lena Aloise
Stone Soup contributor and 20-21 intern Anya Geist (14) interviews Stone Soup contributor Lena Aloise (11). They talk about artistic freedom, writers as composers, the online community of the Stone Soup Writing Workshop, and so much more! Watch the video to hear what Lena has to say. Read some of Lena’s writing here and here. 0:18 – How were you introduced to Stone Soup? 1:20 – What were your favorite parts about the Writing Workshop and Book Club? 2:08 – What is your favorite thing about writing? 3:53 – How long have you been writing? 5:00 – Do you have any writing advice for your peers? 6:22 – Do you think the writing you do for fun is different from the writing you do for school? 7:41 – If you could tell somebody about Stone Soup, what would you say?
Author Interview: Damian Dibben, author The History Keepers, talks to blogger Madeline Sornson
Recently Stone Soup blogger and book reviewer Madeline Sornson had the opportunity to read The History Keepers by Damian Dibben, and ask the author some questions about the book, research, and his writing process. Read their conversation below. MS: How did you come up with the idea for The History Keepers? DD: Growing up, I loved two things. Firstly, history, with its epic sweep, colour and darkness, and its incredible characters. And I loved adventure stories, classic books like the Narnia series and films such as Indiana Jones and James Bond – with their similar casts of heroes and villains, exotic locations, mysteries and romance. I knew one day I wanted one day to write my own series. I was reading a picture book with my nephew about the history of all civilizations and how they linked together, from Ancient Egypt and China; from Roman to the Renaissance. I thought that history itself, would be the most amazing place in which to set my series. Everyone likes imagining escaping to the past. Once the story had begun to set in my head, it was a question of researching the periods so that I could really bring them to life and make the reader feel they are really there. MS: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? If not, what did you want to do when you grew up as a child? DD: I never thought I’d become a writer. Although I loved stories, more than anything, I was only moderately good at English at school. I was much better with anything that was visual, in particular art, design, film and theatre. I used to put on plays and make short films. I then trained in scenic design, became an actor for a while and, through a series of chances, started writing screenplays for movies. I realised I’d been writing all along, since I was young in fact. I don’t see it as a ‘literary’ pursuit, just the means by which you do absolute justice to an image, scene or character that’s in your head. With all this said, if I hadn’t have become a novelist, I would have loved, for obvious reasons, to have been an archaeologist or an explorer. MS: How do you feel when you finally finish a book? DD: Excited and very content, as if I’ve just polished off a delicious ten course meal. I’m usually in the mood to throw a party. MS: What do you think is the hardest thing about writing? DD: I talk about the easiest parts first. For me, these are at the beginning and the end of working on a book. The beginning is all about research and forming ideas and I find this thrilling, how the story grows organically in my mind, from tiny seeds until it has almost fully taken shape and the arc of each character has fallen into place. The end is satisfying too, tidying up, and signing off on artwork. Luxury jobs! So the hardest part is the long stretch in the middle, particularly the first draft. I liken the process to carving a sculpture out of marble or wood. Exciting to have the concept and do the first sketches, exciting to almost finish – and in the middle a very large amount of difficult, sometimes grinding work. MS: How did you develop the series? (did you plan it all out or piece it together as you went?) DD: I had an idea of how the larger, emotional story was going to play out over the series, particularly with regards to Jake’s family. (The first book starts with his mother and father being lost in history). I knew also that I would be travelling to ancient Rome in the second book, after Renaissance Europe in the first. Some of the other elements, and indeed characters, fell into place as I was writing. I carried on plotting throughout. There is supposed to be a fourth book, probably set in Ancient Egypt, but I am waiting for the go-ahead from the publishers, whilst I finish off two new books not connected with The History Keepers. MS: Do you have a favorite character in the History Keepers series? If you do, why is he/she your favorite? If you do not, why is that? DD: It’s incredibly hard to pick as I developed a bond with all the characters over the years, even some of the nasty ones. In a way, Jake is the closest one to myself (I felt very like him when I was fourteen!) so I’ll chose one of his friends. Nathan always makes me laugh and he’s only vain on the surface. Underneath, even in the first book but increasingly throughout, he has many noble qualities. Like all the History Keepers, he’s incredibly brave, faithful and dependable – and when a situation requires him to be serious, there is no one more decisive. Perhaps more than any though, I love Charlie, his dry wit, can-do attitude, love of food and kaleidoscopic mind. A picture of the author MS: Did you enjoy your research for these books? Was it difficult? DD: I love research and of course it’s a vital part of writing books like the History Keepers. I like to know the facts, what a place would sound like, feel like, smell like; what it would be like to arrive on a ship, on a dark night, into Venice during the Renaissance or come into Circus Maximus on a sweltering day in ancient Rome and witness a hundred and fifty thousand people (double the size of Wembley Stadium) cheering on the charioteers. I start off by reading kids encyclopedias (they often paint more enticing and vivid picture) then I go into more depth, often at the British Library. I like to travel to the country too. I went to Rome for a month to research Circus Maximus and could have walked around the Forum blind I’d done so much research beforehand! The
