There are many interesting aspects to being a writer. One of the most enjoyable side-effects of the job is something I never expected to experience: being pitched stories.

This is something I expected at shows, conventions, readings, and what-not. In settings such as this, writers are available for people to talk to. Most conversations revolve around books, but some people - most of them nervous - will pitch ideas. I’m always fascinated by the stories people pitch me because it seems that most people don’t have the opportunity to use their imaginations as much as they should.

People are creative. Look at they way that children play. They really don’t need much. Children can be in a room filled with toys and choose a plastic container to play with over anything else. Creativity goes by the wayside for numerous reasons, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still an integral part of who a person is. More often than not, they aren’t expected to use it.

When it comes to imagination and creativity, most people don’t have the skills to paint or build things. But a majority of people were taught how to use words. Most people lose the joy of writing through years of writing essays in school, but if not provided with boundaries, people would take great pleasure with writing. Or maybe that’s just the thinking of an optimistic writer.

Coming up with ideas for a story is natural. It’s an extension of creating games when you’re a kid. And many people are constantly consuming stories, whether through reading books or watching films and television. We love stories. We can’t get enough of them. After awhile we start to think, “maybe I should come up with my own story”. That’s essentially what writers do.

I’m never surprised when someone pitches me an idea at a convention. It does, however, catch me off guard, when someone shares an idea with me anywhere else. And it’s happened quite a few times. At parties. My kids’ soccer practice. Birthday parties. Family reunions. And so on and so on. It seems like most people that share a story idea with me want to know if it’s any good. My response is always the same: “that sounds great”. Because who am I to say otherwise? It’s all about the delivery.

Whenever this happens, I wonder if there are other professions that experience the same type of interactions. Doctors, I imagine, might get such inquiries when they’re off duty, much to their chagrin. Lawyers too, perhaps. Or it might be something reserved for writers. Regardless, it always makes me smile.