Where Do Ideas Come From?

It's probably the most common question writers get: "where do you get your ideas?"

My answer: Everywhere.

I think of myself as a child of three. You know the age where all they do is ask questions about the world? It's exhausting. Well, as the person answering the questions, at least. But to the child, it's exhilarating! They find out about everything in the world through these questions. Everything fascinates them.

Get back to that. Be three again. Ask questions about everything you see and hear.

For example, you're in line to get groceries, and there's an elderly couple in front of you discussing the cover of a magazine on the rack. They are amazed by how far technology has come.

Now's the time you start asking yourself questions.

How would it have felt for them to first use computers? What would that transition be like? How has the world changed since they were born? Would they be the type of people to embrace technology or dispute its disruption in our lives?

And finally, what kind of a story can I build around this?

The simple act of listening to others and asking yourself questions can lead you down a hole of a hundred ideas for your writing.

So the next time you wonder where to get ideas, start asking questions about the world around you.