Goodreads asked Sheryl Monks:

How do you get inspired to write?

Sheryl Monks Inspiration is everywhere. My problem is usually how to focus on one thing at a time. I grew up listening to my family tell stories, so that's always the easiest source. I call up my mama and just get her chatting. Sooner or later, she'll start to tell me a story. I've heard most of her stories a million times, but I always hear something new with each telling. I never take stories whole cloth because stories told from literal memory never work. But I do listen for details or conflicts that might shed light on stories I'm working on. Mostly, it's just the mood that's created when I fall under mama's storytelling magic. There's a transference of energy, ideas begin to spark, and then I'm off.

Sometimes I'm inspired by actual dreams I have. I've always had vivid dreams. I can remember many of them, even ones I had as a child. As I've become more experienced as a writer, I've learned to look at my own intuition. There are certain themes I'm always interested in, certain images that recur in dreams or in the other things that capture my interest. I've learned to pay attention to my unconscious mind. More than pay attention; I've learned to let it lead me, guide me, show me the stories that are mine to tell.

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