Where do you get your ideas?

This is a question I'm often asked. But it usually comes out as: How do you think this stuff up?

I visited an injured co-worker yesterday, along with the rest of the staff from our small office. Being the new kid on the block, I wasn't tuned into some of the discussion. They talked about a couple who had dated in high school, then been separated because of family disputes, but who reunited later in life. One of my co-workers looked at me and said, "There's a book in there somewhere." And, indeed, there is.

I returned to the office and, having a quiet afternoon, sat at my computer and considered the story that could be told. Half an hour later I had an outline for a new novel following the theme of two young lovers, separated by family and by life events, but reunited later in life after both have married and raised families, endured divorce and widowhood. In that instant, The Hope Chest began its journey into print.

So, where do I get my ideas? From life. The makings of great story lines are all around us. We have but to observe, listen, and take good notes.

Where do you get your ideas? Or, to quote my friends, "How do you think this stuff up?"

Linda