How does one find inspiration to create a show like Star Trek?

[downfallpudding]

Hey guys,


I’ve always been fascinated by the human imagination and our ability to dream up random stuff. What kind of thoughts must a person have swirling around their mind to be able to come up with an imaginary universe brimming with various planets, races, and whatnot, and then give them all human-like characteristics? Does anyone have any idea how Mr. Roddenberry thought of the whole thing?


I’m asking because I’m struggling with letting my imagination loose and I can’t find inspiration anywhere. I work as a copywriter (I know that it’s not fair to compare copywriting with a legendary show like Star Trek, but don’t know where else to look). One of my most recent clients is from the iGaming industry (https://www.nodepositdaily.com/bitcoin/) and I’m tasked with coming up with compelling content to drive traffic and conversions so we can overhaul the site (it’s follows the standard industry recipe at the moment, as you can see). 


Where do you find inspiration for your job/passion/etc? I’d love to know more about your thought processes so I can maybe get an idea how to overcome this writer’s block. Please advise!

[Attilio]

Research the snowflake method. Essential you start small, with a simple idea, then start to build that out. Don't expect that you'll be able to build an entire universe. The Star Trek universe didn't just happen, it was slowly built over time. So start small. Find something that interests you and create a culture or alien race around it. Example:

I'm interested in programming, computers, technology, etc. So maybe I come up with an alien culture who over time has come to worship technology over mystical deities. Maybe I use a name for them that makes you think of technology, maybe they are called the "Nologians"? Maybe I just hit random keys on the keyboard for the name lol "Boubasyi"?

Now we can build out from there by asking questions. What planet do they live on? Does the whole planet follow the same culture? Is it one government for the whole planet or multiple governments? What is their political system like? Do they follow an emperor? Do they follow an all powerful AI computer? They follow technology so maybe they are very efficient, their ships could be efficiently shaped and laid out.

Feel free to steel any of this from me. I hope this helps you out a bit. I know it can be easier said than done, but don't think of this as coming up with every single detail and finalizing everything right now. Think of it as more of an exploration. You come up with a simple idea and just explore it. How can that idea spark new ideas?

Also try getting inspiration from literally everything. If you read an article about something your local government did, can you use that? Maybe they passed a simple law to do something, what if that went horribly wrong? What if they had some sinister motive behind it?