Goodreads asked Christy Bower:

How do you get inspired to write?

Christy Bower My mind is a pinball machine so I always have ideas bouncing around. When I see, hear, or read something, my mind ricochets around triggering new connections or sending a thought on an entirely new trajectory.

I also happen to love wordplay, so I listen to words and make random connections in hopes of finding a humorous comeback. This type of quirky wordplay comes up in my Dragon Hollow Trilogy (youth fiction).

I snatch up tidbits to meld together like a patchwork quilt or collage in my writing. For example, I needed a name for a kingdom in The Legend of Dragon Hollow so I looked down at the ballpoint pen I was using. I had picked it up at a recent writer’s conference and the writing on the pen read, “Mirabeau Park Hotel.” That worked for me. I named the kingdom “Mirabeau.” Inspiration can come from anywhere.

Beyond serendipity, most of my larger ideas for book concepts are from my personal life experiences. I can’t write about things I haven’t experienced—well, not in a helpful, empathetic way.

I happen to be a very introspective person. As I go through life, I spend a great deal of time thinking about things that happened, what they mean, and how they changed me. I look for growth points and develop them into content.

I figure I’m not the only one experiencing these things so if I write about what I’m learning, it’s bound to help others, too.

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