The original

It's tough to come up with an original idea. I mean, hasn't everything been thought of already?

English author and journalist Christopher Booker wrote a book called The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, which distilled everything ever written down to seven plots: overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the quest, voyage and return, comedy, tragedy and rebirth.

So how do I come up with something original if there's only those seven stories? Seems tough. Especially when you look around pop culture today and see nothing but remakes, sequels or adaptations. How does a writer come up with something original?

I've been exposed to a massive amount of pop culture in my life, almost 25 years. Everything from Sesame Street to Star Wars, all kinds of music and literature. Surely it's impacted my thinking and my imagination. Where do I come up with something new and different.

I guess it's a matter of taking one of those seven plots and adding my own twists to the idea. I've been reading some articles about free-writing; just sitting down and putting words on paper or on the computer screen. No self-editing or anything, just see what comes out. And I see the value in such an exercise. It's like brainstorming.

It's a matter of keeping a notepad or something with me at all times so I can write an idea down when it comes to me. I just need to do this.

I'm not fooling myself. I realize this is going to be tough, but it's something I need to do. I know I have some good ideas, I just need to get them from my head to the page.