Goodreads asked Andrew Gentile:

How do you get inspired to write?

Andrew Gentile My writing comes in surges of inspiration, often months apart. As a part-time writer, I don't try to manage or drive the writing process as much as I allow the content to arise within me and demand itself be written. It's like those brilliant ideas you get in the shower - an inspiration that you can change the world, alleviate suffering - and you try to figure out what to do with that idea. When I have those moments I scribble them down in my notebook that I carry everywhere with me.

Some of my biggest waves of ideas come while riding the Toronto subway. There's something about being out in the midst of a variety of people in an underground tunnel that seems to allow me to tap into the depth of the human mind and emotions in a bigger way. All that body language, all those facial expressions of people sitting still, passing time, going somewhere.

At other times, inspiration comes while I'm out in nature, away from people. I think humans the contrast between these two situations is interesting. Perhaps its that humans show me pain, and nature shows me healing.

Getting inspired is an exciting and mysterious process to me since I never know when the next wave of insight will arrive. It gives me good reason to get out, move around, and spend time in different environments that may trigger different energetic and though resonance and give rise to a new sequence of concepts and perspectives.

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