Where I Get My Ideas - Be Curious

Writers often get asked: where do your ideas come from?

It’s a fair question. And also a tough one to answer.

Ideas, for me, come from everywhere and nowhere. They arrive unexpected, under-dressed, and usually carrying something strange in a bag.

Sometimes they come from dreams. I once dreamt about a world where everyone carried about their own life's jigsaw, some mixed up with pieces missing: I still haven’t figured out what to do with that. Sometimes they come from a throwaway comment on social media. A road sign. A half-heard conversation in a cafe. A strange feeling while walking under trees that feel just a bit too still.

And sometimes, it’s just asking, what if?

• What if a zombie joined the WI?

• What if gnomes were secretly running the local council?

• What if we humans are but the bedbugs of a larger world?

That’s how it starts.

Be curious. And, not that I've ever done improv, but as I understand it, it's about saying yes. So have that weird idea, and rather than say, no that wouldn't work: say to yourself, yes and what else?

So if you’re looking for ideas, my advice is simple: stay curious. Say “what if” a lot. And always keep a notebook or your phone handy. Ideas don’t wait. They arrive, ring the doorbell, and expect you to be ready.