Oddly, the inspiration for some of his gibberish came from his first wife, Hollywood actress Patricia Neal, after she suffered from a stroke and worked on getting her speech back. Another unusual thing he did was keeping a list of made-up words. I keep a note document on my phone which is packed with story ideas, pieces of dialogue, quotes, character sketches, etc. As a writer, I think it’s imperative that one keeps an idea book of sorts.ĭahl loved to keep a list of names with him. He kept an idea book with him all the time.
And then it’s up to you to bring it alive, kick it around, examine it and see what personal touch you can add to the story. If you have a curious mind and pay attention to your surroundings, you will find a story in everything.
Sometimes one doesn’t need to look far for a good idea. He based him on his favorite characteristics about himself. Willy Wonka was based on himself, his daughter says in the documentary. And then, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came to life. His family explained that he had a fascination with chocolate. Upon opening the box and examining its contents, Dahl couldn’t help but wonder what was hiding behind all these bars. Dahl: “ideas come from tiny germs and you rattle it around and hope for the best and build up a story.”Īt the start of term in school, when Dahl was young, he got a cardboard box with twelve chocolate bars. In the documentary, there’s an interviewer asks Roald where ideas come from. Here are some tips on writing and creativity that are as odd and unique as the man who brought us The BFG, The Gremlins, and Fantastic Mr. Not only did he share with us the most amazing stories, but he also left us writers with invaluable wisdom. To me, imagination is one of the most powerful qualities we humans possess.Įarlier this week, I stumbled upon a 2016 BBC documentary about Roald Dahl’s life. What does he mean by this? I think to him magic lies in our imagination. While we’re unable to wave a wand and cast Wingardium Leviosa, we can picture what would happen if we did in our mind. Without believing in magic, he said, he couldn’t have become a writer. His worlds filled with wonder, childlike curiosity, and what it means to be different are mesmerizing to me. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve read Matilda, The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Roald Dahl is hands down the author who had the most influence on me when I grew up. “If you don’t believe in magic, you’ll never find it.” - Roald Dahl
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