Where stories come from

I'm often asked where my ideas and stories come from. Needless to say, this process varies from person to person, but I have never been able to tie what inspires me to a theme, place, or conversation. They just pounce. Without warning.

Sometimes, it's snippets of a dream. Sometimes, it's born out of a conversation with no likeness to the idea itself. Sometimes an idea just enters my brain like an uninvited guest and refuses to leave until I've begun putting words on paper. But for all the different ways these ideas can introduce themselves, they are often based on some form of character.

Character has always been important to me in both writing and reading. Character is often the heart of my stories, and they usually flesh out their paths on their own. I find it a fun way to let the ideas develop, keeping up the excitement since I don't know where the story is going beyond the snapshot of a scene or character in my brain.

One problem with story ideas is the amount of them. It's a good thing, of course, but it gets frustrating when there are more stories in your head than you can put down onto paper. That's why I carry a small notebook with me, one reserved for random ideas that just come to me. That way, I don't need to worry about forgetting something I'm eager to write about.

Since my story ideas tend to come without warning and in any seeming order, I keep my notebook close. And if I feel the story is still nagging at my brain after a couple of days, I know it's one I'll need to write, if only for myself.