Where do story ideas come from, and do you need special experiences to write? Not necessarily. Utsudo says inspiration comes from daily life, experience or other works, and she writes simply because she wants to—she’s loved daydreaming and imagining having special powers since childhood. Most of what happens in stories is born from imagination; more important than where the idea came from is being able to tell the story you want to tell.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

The question people ask most

I’ve noticed that people ask me this question all the time, whether they’re in the industry or not.

The answer is always the same—daily life, some experience, or inspiration from some work—but people just love asking XD

Maybe they think a writer must have some special reason, or rare experiences? But in my case, I don’t have any grand achievements—though I’ve certainly had my share of bad luck (X

You don’t need a dramatic event to start writing

Some people may start writing after a dramatic change in their lives or a sudden flash of inspiration, but I simply wanted to write. I’ve always been someone who loves immersing myself in my own world. I don’t dislike socializing, but unless I haven’t seen anyone in a while, I’d rather be alone and quiet.

You don’t have to go through something big to want to write. For me, writing is as ordinary as eating and drinking, yet indispensable. If it were taken away from me, I’d probably become completely useless.

So, to avoid becoming useless, today I’ll keep struggling along this bumpy road (X

And I don’t think everyone who goes through something will want to write. They might not even have time to write when things happen. In any case, most people who love writing are sensitive and emotionally rich, with a deeper way of observing and understanding the world. Me included, of course.

Isn’t it wonderful to carefully write down your own perspective and share it? And if it resonates with others, even better—it feels like being recognized.

Most story ideas come from imagination

Most of our lives are ordinary, and special things rarely happen. Only a small part of what happens in a story actually happened. For example, you don’t need many romances to write a love story—surely every ex doesn’t have to be a domineering CEO for you to write romance novels (x

Most plots are born from imagination or inspiration. But however a plot is born, being able to tell the story you want is what matters most.

Creating is also a way to express your wishes. If you really want a domineering CEO boyfriend, you can make that dream come true in your story. That’s fun too.

I’ve loved daydreaming since childhood

Since I was little, I’ve loved daydreaming: what if I had special powers, or could become a certain kind of person—what fun experiences would I have? That’s the nourishment for my creations. Of course, the further I go down this path, the more I feel, and my reasons for writing may no longer be so pure, but it won’t change my love of writing.

Don’t we usually read novels hoping to escape dull reality and experience a different life? So let’s use our imagination to create one wonderful story after another, taking everyone away from reality while helping them realize something. Isn’t that great?

So where does your inspiration come from?

FAQ

Further reading

• Previous: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #132: In Pursuing History, We Too Become History
• Start from the beginning: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #01: Utsudo’s Debut — A Road to the Dream Covered in Frost
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.