From Here to Maternity

“Where do you get the ideas for your stories?”

I would guess that at least once in the career of every writer who has put ink on paper this question has, in one form or another, has been asked. The answers have probably ranged from very detailed to very vague to very absurd. From the title of this post, it would be a safe assumption on your part that my answer is going to fall somewhere in between.

It all begins in the seedier corners of my mind. An innocent thought is sitting there minding her own business when a smooth-talking bit of outside stimuli enters in through my eyes or ears. He sidles up beside her, takes a seat, and begins to whisper in her ear. The next thing you know, the thought has become a no-so-innocent idea that is giving birth to plots and subplots, settings and characters, and the outside stimuli is long gone. At times, things can come out not quite right, or even down right messy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t embrace whatever comes from that union.

An odd analogy, to be sure, but it is as close as I can come. It is part of the reason I pay attention to what is going on around me instead of going through life with blinders on. A good writer never knows when inspiration is going to strike. Just as an expectant mother has a bag packed for the inevitable trip to the hospital, I try to keep a notepad and a couple of pens on hand just in case.

Regardless of what the idea is, I always try to nurture it to the best of my ability. You never know when a story idea is going t grow up to be a full grown novel.

Just thought I would jot this down.