Finding Inspiration

One of the things often asked of writers is where they get their ideas. And the answers are as varied as the authors.

Today I was chatting with another writer who is a truck driver. Together she and her husband take turns driving across the country. She prefers to drive at night. Says she thinks better. The other day she was telling about how she watched the sunrise in Colorado. How cool would that be:-)

Another writer mentioned she gets a lot of her ideas from things her kids say. I have to agree. My kids are a wonderful source of ideas. They look at things so different than I do at times. That freshness keeps things interesting.

Just by looking around us, we can find so many ideas. An old oak in my front yard became a "hanging tree" and a ghost/western/mystery was born. A rainy day and a car accident became the start of a romance story I'm working on. And, a Discovery Channel show on how carousel horses are made gave me the idea for a smuggling mystery.

Just by asking who, what, where, when, why and how we can come up with more ideas than we'd ever have time to write. Plus, it's such fun to brainstorm ideas. Even if you never use them.

So for today, share with us your favorite place/way to find inspiration?

Jean