Goodreads asked Clare T. Walker:

How do you get inspired to write?

Clare T. Walker "Inspiration" in the form of story ideas comes from random events and meetings in my daily life: a news article, a conversation, something that happened at work, a book, story, movie or TV episode that makes me think about something in an odd way, something I observe outside. I'm one of those people who remembers and makes connections between disparate things.

"Inspiration" while working on a piece often comes from research. Learning how a task is done, or the history of a location, or an unusual fact about a person, object, or event--these can be a launching point into a scene or a subplot or a key character trait. Also, for my fiction, I've found it helpful to compile a playlist. I especially like to find one or two songs to serve as a character's "theme." This helps me experience the emotion that I would like to evoke in the reader and guides the character's personal "story arc."

"Inspiration" to actually sit down and write--put words on the page--well, that's a tough one. Some work tasks can be done while listening to news, audiobooks, or podcasts, or having a conversation. Not writing. Writing is lonely and must be done in relative silence. By me, anyway. I can listen to music, but only if it's music without words. Sometimes I just "don't feel like" writing because I want to do something more personally entertaining or something easier. Once I get going, though--just make myself sit down and start--the creative energy usually starts to flow. As Picasso said, "Inspiration exists. But it has to find you working."

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