SquarePeg Books

Where do your ideas come from?

Sometimes, they come from half-remembered dreams. Lately they’ve been coming from documentaries. A short documentary about the history of mythical plants that hunt people and animals is interesting, and then inspires an idea about a story for gathering said plants, and then and thenandthen…

Once I was driving home from a long distance camping trip and my friend was yapping on about a new story he’d read based on the Lovecraftian universe, which got me thinking about a car, which got me thinking about who would take care of that car, which then transformed into a romance novel.

I’m still not sure how that happened.

People watching sometimes does it. Just sitting on a bench somewhere or walking around a store, looking for interesting people and trying to build a story based on a character that looks like them. Why did they choose extra spicy pork sausage for their shopping, when they put it in their cart right next to a bag of vegan meat substitute? Are there people at home with different diets? are they shopping for themselves and getting a few things for a friend that might be down on their luck?

It’s hard to people watch, nowadays, though. Everyone gets creeped out if you’re just sitting on a bench randomly looking about. Especially if you have a notebook or something like that in your hands.

Thrift and Antique shops are good for ideas. Just wander around and pick up an item – what is it? Who used it and why? Was that really fashionable back in the day? OMG! VHS TAPES!!!! IN AN ANTIQUE STORE?!?!?! I’M NOT THAT OLD, AM I?

i need chocolate

Check out the Insecure Writer’s Support Group to see more writers dish about their concerns, their solutions to various problems, or how they deal withthe realization that they are, in fact, THAT old.