A screenplay is a piece of writing that tells a story through dialogue, action, and visual elements. It is the blueprint for a movie, television show, or other audiovisual production. The creative process of writing a screenplay can be both rewarding and challenging. But it also requires a lot of inspiration to get ideas for your screenplay. Inspiration can be elusive sometimes. You find yourself faced with a blank page. This is more frustrating if you have a deadline.
However, sometimes doing something else that keeps your conscious mind busy and lets your subconscious mind wander and explore is the best way to spark creativity. This is why, when you’re doing chores or taking a shower, you can sometimes get some of your best ideas. Even though these situations may appear routine or uninteresting, they can actually serve as a source of inspiration for a screenplay. In this article, we’ll look at how and why doing chores or taking a shower can help you come up with great ideas for your screenplay.
Finding Inspiration for Your Screenplay While Doing Chores
Doing chores is another way to use “idle” time to get ideas and inspiration for a screenplay. This is an activity that can distract your conscious mind and let your subconscious mind work on your screenplay idea. Doing chores can also give you a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment. This can help you feel more confident and creative. Here are some steps you can take while doing chores to get ideas for a screenplay:
Choose mundane chores
Chores like washing dishes, folding laundry, or sweeping the floor are straightforward and require little attention. These are tasks that can be completed with little thought or effort on your part. In addition, they can establish a rhythm and flow that can inspire creativity. On the other hand, complex tasks such as cooking, ironing, and repairing require a lot of concentration. They might not be the best way to get inspiration for your screenplay. They are usually time-consuming and varied, and they are likely to keep you from thinking creatively about your screenplay.
Make use of visualisation
A technique known as visualisation involves conjuring up mental images of what you want to accomplish or experience. You can clarify your vision, come up with new ideas, and solve problems by visualizing. While doing mundane chores, you can use visualisation to imagine scenes, characters, dialogue, or actions related to your screenplay concept. You can also imagine yourself as the main character in your screenplay. Then act out what they would say or do in various situations.
Use brainstorming
The process of coming up with as many ideas as possible without evaluating or narrowing them down is known as brainstorming. You can explore new perspectives and expand your possibilities by brainstorming. By writing down or speaking aloud all the ideas that come to mind that are related to your screenplay concept or genre, you can use brainstorming while doing chores. For additional ideas, you can also use prompts or triggers like words, images, sounds, or feelings.
Relying on feedback
A technique known as feedback involves getting comments from other people about your work. By highlighting your work’s strengths and weaknesses, providing fresh perspectives, and either validating or challenging your assumptions or expectations, feedback can help you improve it. When you are doing chores, you can get feedback by sharing your ideas with someone who is doing the chores with you or is willing to talk to you. You can also post your ideas and get feedback from other writers on online platforms or forums.
Keep a record of any ideas you get while doing the chores, or write them down. The chores can be a great place to get ideas for a screenplay. But once you finish the chores, it’s easy to forget what you thought of the ideas. To prevent this, you should record or write down any ideas that come to you while you are doing the chores as soon as possible. You can use the notes app or voice recorder on your phone, or you can use a pen and paper.
Some tips and warnings for finding inspiration for a screenplay while doing chores are:
Don’t get so carried away with your story idea that you end up hurting yourself or damaging your property while doing chores. Doing chores can be boring and tedious, but they can also be risky and expensive if done incorrectly. When doing the chores, make sure you follow the instructions and safety precautions, like wearing gloves, using the right tools, and cleaning up after yourself.
Perform the tasks effectively and efficiently. Doing chores can be motivating and productive, but if done poorly, they can also be disrespectful and irresponsible. Make sure you finish the chores on time and to your satisfaction. Especially if they are not your own or have an impact on other people. Do not use the fact that you are looking for ideas for a screenplay as an excuse to neglect or sabotage your tasks.
Do not constrain or pass judgement on any thoughts that surface while doing the chores.
Doing chores can be a great way to get creative. But if you force yourself to come up with ideas or judge them too harshly, it can be counterproductive. Keep in mind that coming up with ideas for a screenplay takes time, patience, and an open mind. Don’t put pressure on yourself to come up with the best idea. Simply allow your thoughts to run amok and see where they lead you.
Getting Screenplay Ideas while Taking a Shower
Not only is taking a shower or bath a good way to get your body and mind clean, but it could also be a good means of generating brilliant ideas for a story. While taking a bath or shower, some of the following steps can accentuate the process of getting great ideas for a screenplay:
Put on some music
If you’re a music lover, your brain and mood can be easily influenced by music. For instance, your favourite music can loosen you up. You can play music that complements the tone or genre of your idea for a screenplay. You may also set a timer or use a music playlist to limit the time you spend in the shower and avoid distractions. If done for an excessive amount of time, taking a shower can be wasteful as well as relaxing. A timer or a playlist will remind you when to finish the shower to avoid this. Additionally, this will give you a sense of urgency and help you focus on your creative thinking.
Use the shower as a sensory stimulus
The sound of water, the temperature of the water, the scent of soap, and the sensation of water on your skin are just a few of the sensory inputs that can pique your creative juices in the shower. These inputs can elicit thoughts and feelings that are relevant to your screenplay.
Explore scenarios and ask questions about the screenplay
After the shower has given you some thoughts and feelings, you can start asking questions and thinking about scenarios for your screenplay. For instance, if you are mulling over a screenplay about an alien invasion, you can ask questions like, Who are these aliens? Why are they invading? How do they appear? In what way do they communicate? How do they strike? How do humans respond? What defect do they have? What is their aim? You can also look into situations like what you would do if an alien crashed into your yard. Or what if an alien disguised himself as your neighbour? What would happen if an alien kidnapped your friend? What if an alien fell in love with you?
Write down or record any ideas that come to you while you’re in the shower
A shower can be a great place to get ideas for a screenplay. But once you leave the shower, you can easily forget what you thought. To avoid this, you should immediately record or write down any ideas that come to you while you are in the shower. You can use a waterproof notepad and pen or your phone’s voice recorder or notes app. Make sure they are waterproof. If you don’t have waterproof ones, try to find a spot in the bathroom where your phone or notepad won’t get wet.
Final thoughts
Everyday tasks like sweeping and mopping floors or taking a shower or bath can seem quite commonplace. But they can be a great means of getting astonishing story ideas. How about you make these tasks a means of generating great inspiration for your stories? So, when next you find yourself battling writer’s block or merely not feeling inspired to get creative, just hop into the shower or grab a broom and watch as your subconscious gets busy generating story ideas for you. You can never tell which groundbreaking ideas await you out there.
We hope you find this article stimulating and enlightening. We hope you find some interesting inspiration for your next screenplay. If so, why not share it with us and others? We would love to hear from you.