Goodreads asked Samuel Hawley:

How do you get inspired to write?

Samuel Hawley I research. That's my background (MA in history and author of several nonfiction books). The first step in creating a good book is to research the hell out of a topic, to immerse yourself in it. Do enough of it and a story starts to emerge--plot lines, character backgrounds, motivations, and a myriad of details, sights and colors, smells and sounds. I use this approach with my novels as well as my nonfiction books. No matter how active my imaginative might be, it pales next to what has actually happened, to what people have actually done, to events that have actually occurred. The cliche "the truth is stranger than fiction" is in fact totally true.

If you want ideas for compelling fiction, therefore, start by exploring the truth. Start digging by reading history books, biographies, memoirs, newspaper stories. Do that with your mind attuned to identifying interesting material and you will soon amass more story ideas than you can ever turn into books.

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