When it comes to inspiration, I simply look and listen. The truth is the inspiration for the first book in the series came from an actual event that made its way into the first book. The scene in the diner? Yes, that actually happened. Someone started talking to my son and I while we were in a local diner, and it was nearly the same as what ended up in the novel I wrote.
Of course, living in a small town where everyone knew everyone, and the students in my class were always sharing with me about their own “theories” and “conspiracies” made for many “What if…” ruminations. Pair this with living in an area where it was well-known that an entire town had disappeared, and well, you have the makings of something worth thinking about.
For the newest book in the series, this, too, had a bit of actual truth to it. The book starts with Zane placing a note in his wallet. My son, who is the inspiration for Zane, also placed the same note in his wallet when he was a teenager. He’s now almost 30, but I tucked that little tidbit aside as a “what if my character did that?” so I could pull from things I knew.
If you are an inspiring writer, do you keep a notebook filled with oddities and quips to use later? I have one that is filled with nothing more than cheesy pick up lines, and another with quirky things I’ve heard. Then there is the file with places. Places I’ve visited. Places I’ve heard about. Places that would make for a cool setting.
Why keep these kinds of things? You never know where or when your next inspiration will strike.
