Inspiration

Hello again! I hope you've had a great week.

I've been trying to stay creative in this humid summer heat! It's hard to think straight when the sun is beating down on me and the air feels like swampy water, but that's the price we pay for Florida living.

People sometimes ask where I get ideas for my stories. That's a tough question because there are so many answers.

The inspiration for "God Corp." came after several people expected me to fall over with tears because it was possible Shakespeare hadn't written any of the plays I loved. It was such a strange thing, that anyone would assume the debate somehow negated the value of his plays. I mulled this problem over for a while, and then, poof. "God Corp." :)

Another story (available in a few months) came to mind when I was reading an article online about brain waves. It's fascinating what scientists are able to learn about people through technology, and I always enjoy imagining what future inventions might bring to our everyday lives.

Once I was inspired to write an entire fantasy novel while watching a performance of Cirque du Soleil.

Anything can spark an idea if I'm in the mood for it. A strange picture, some unexpected music, or even the odd placement of an object in a room will lead me to my keyboard.

Not everything works out the way I'd like it to. But some do turn out, and those are enough to make me remember interesting conversations, bookmark weird websites, and look for inspiration in everything around me.

Afterward, I'll never look at reality the same. It's as though I've opened up a new possibility in my mind, and now the world is just a bit stranger... in a good way. :)

Remember when you were a kid? Everything was filled with mystery, and you were the super sleuth who was going to solve it all. Magic was real. Flying cars were a likely part of your future -- they'd probably even have lasers on the front so you could shoot down enemies in battle.

Everything you saw as a kid had the potential to be bizarre and cool with just a little imagination.

I don't think that changes when we grow up. I think many of us tuck our dreams safely inside so we don't attract funny looks as we zoom through the mall, arms outstretched, pretending to be an airplane and half-expecting to really lift off. It's a matter of acting grown up. Not being grown up.

That's the fun of fiction.

So, how about you? Have you visited a magical world at night while you slept? Has a penny you picked up brought you luck? Have you noticed a coincidence and wondered whether it was actually a "sign"?

What inspires you?