According to many published authors I have talked to, one of the most annoying (and frequent) questions they get asked is:
“Where do you get your ideas from?”
Coming from non-writers, the question is an acceptable one. The writer’s mind is a strange place and non-writers don’t always quite understand how such strange and fantastic things can be created out of nothing in one’s imagination. Coming from an aspiring writer? Well, that’s likely to at least get you an annoyed, if not a dirty look.
Even so, the question is asked often enough for there to be standard, popular responses:
“Santa.”
“The Easter Bunny.”
“From the Idea-of-the-Month Club.”
Of course, the people who ask the questions aren’t very happy with those responses. They’re looking for something, anything, that will be the magic key to imaginative bestsellers.
The problem isn’t that there is no key, the problem is the key is just to look at the world and people don’t like that.
Having talked about various sources of inspiration with people, I decided to make it a little easier on the people who are just looking for a little help in the inspiration department. The answer will always be that everything around you has the potential to inspire you, but if you need a little more specific direction than that…
This week I am going to introduce you to the three ‘P’s of inspiration, so be sure to check back in to see what they are and to get the idea mill of your mind churning.
Critique Notes