If you are a writer, you have had somebody ask this question at least once. And, if you are at all prolific, you have been able to tell them…EVERYWHERE!

You never know what will strike your fancy. Keep a notebook handy and jot down every little idea–no one says you have to actually use every little idea, but what if the one you didn’t at least jot down to think about is the one that would have put you on the Best Seller’s list? You just never know. If you don’t want to carry around a physical notebook, there are plenty of apps for that. I personally love One Note, because it can sync across computer, phone, and tablet.

To get back to what to put in that notebook, here are a few sources for some of my ideas:

1) I once read something about Queen Elizabeth I on the web, and it became “Soul of a Harper” (Sung here by the marvelous Marc Gunn who also wrote the music.)

2) I read a page of The Left-Hander’s 2015 Day-to-Day Calendar (earlier year, same calendar) and wrote “We Must Have Cream for Sunday,” which has been published twice and probably will be again next year.

3) I had a dream that morphed into a main character and some of the action in a WIP.

4) I absolutely love answering submissions calls based on songs. “Married to the Sea” in Terror by Gaslight: A Fantom Enterprises – Iron Clad Press Production was inspired by Jordan Reyne’s “Johnny & the Sea” for a contest she was having. “Shadow of a Black Crow” in Come to My Window was inspired by Melissa Etheridge’s song of the same name.

5) I’ve written poetry inspired by paintings and photographs.

In other words, ideas are everywhere. Let them in. 🙂