Where do you get your ideas?

Ideas seem to be magical, but they aren't. If you've ever wondered where to find them, here are some places to look.

Ideas are all around you

Seriously. They exist within you and without, just waiting for you to take notice of them. Kind of like dreams. If you ignore your dreams, it's more difficult to remember them.

Read non-fiction

Non-fiction is great for idea generation. Read it. A lot of it. Read history, culture, current events, biographies, and anything else that catches your interest. This is where plot bunnies come from, and what ifs, and other amazing phrases that get the words flowing.

Read myths and legends

In line with that, read myths and legends. Even  if you don't write fantasy, reading myths and legends can help you formulate a history for a lost item ("They once believed this [insert name of artifact] was blessed by [insert name of god or hero].") Or give you a new direction for your plot.

Not to mention, myth is full of things called archetypes. And archetypes are what give characters in your story a feeling of depth. My opinion, but I think it's a solid one.

Watch people and speculate

Really look at the people around you. Watch them (without staring) and notice the little things. If anything stands out, make a note of it. Wonder about it. Speculate about why that trait exists, what purpose does it serve, how did it come about.

And ask yourself what the truth is behind the mask. That's where the stories are.

Read the news on occasion

Too much news makes a person think the world is a miserable, dangerous place. But now and then it's good to know what's going on, if only to hear people's reactions to events. It could also spark some what ifs or give more depth to a character's background.

Study nature

This is mostly for fantasy and science fiction writers, but studying nature can also help give specificity to every writer's world. It's not just a tree; it's an elm, or a willow, or an oak. Each of those names brings up a different emotional reaction, and each of them needs to be used to create that reaction in the reader, when appropriate. Much better than just "tree," don't you think?

Each of these things will fill your head with snippets, pictures, ideas, and other ephemera that will eventually come together into a story or project or article or whatever else you need them to be. The more you do this, the more stories you'll create and the less likely you'll encounter writer's block.

What about you? How do you get ideas? (All occupations welcome to comment, btw.)