Have you ever noticed when you write, or create, that you’re suddenly inspired to create or write more, not necessarily in the same story or oeuvre, but it’s like a lightbulb goes off in your head, and suddenly you have ideas, more than you know what to do with.

When I’m writing, I’m solely focused on the story that I’m writing, and getting that done. But if I’m driving my car, or listening to a podcast, ideas seem to be brewing in my head. Circulating and percolating. And the next thing, I have a good idea for a story. I have three story ideas I’m toying with at the moment, a bounty hunter / assassin, a sequel for my Ice Planet (Shards of Ice) story, and a Cinderella retold story. They are all vastly different stories too, one is a fairytale, one is a science fiction romance and the other is… well it isn’t quite sure where it wants to sit yet, other than it’s a woman who helps abused women escape their partners, and makes the ex’s pay for the privilege. I mean, where on earth did that story come from? I was listening to a podcast about the Pinkertons when the idea of a woman who helps other woman and basically distracts the husband while her team of specialists get the woman out of the house and gives her a whole new identity. I mean there’s still a lot of concept that needs to be worked out, and a storyline, but I can see her, wearing leather pants, long flowing hair, femme fatale type.

I love coming up with up with story ideas, and I write them down, because sometimes I forget things or lose a train of thought, but I have notebooks everywhere with bits of story ideas in them. I’ve taken to carrying notebooks around with me because you just never know when an idea will strike. And sometimes it’s just an inkling, and other times it’s a full on complete concept of a story.

And this all happens because I’m being creative and feeding my creativity with reading, writing, watching programs, listening to music, or podcasts – anything can trigger an idea. Music was instrumental in my first Dragon story, which still needs to be completed. I haven’t quit on the idea, but the story became the neverending story, and I couldn’t have that. I need to find an end point and then a start point for the next couple. The story is still perculating.

Don’t give up if you find that you can’t find the inspiration or ideas aren’t flowing. Try a different medium. If you write, listen to music. If you draw, play a game, or watch a movie. Look at photos online. If you create music, read a book. Find another way to get those ideas up and running.