Where to Find Inspiration for Writing Fiction

As I travel and write, people often ask me where inspiration for my novels or short stories comes from. The short answer is, “everywhere.” But that’s not a very helpful answer for someone who is an aspiring writer. 

For me, the initial inspiration is the lifeblood of any novel. It’s the spark that ignites my imagination, fuels my creativity, and sustains my passion throughout the research, outlining, and six or seven drafts.

Sometimes, when I am ready to start a new story or novel, inspiration feels elusive. Yet I know it’s all around, waiting to be discovered. But I’m never happy just sitting waiting for it to come along, so I have come up with a few intentional focuses that help me find my next story.

One of the most potent sources of inspiration is nature. A breathtaking beach or a dense forest can inspire a myriad of stories. A windy cliff overlooking the ocean might evoke thoughts of adventure or lost love. A serene forest could inspire a tale of introspection or hidden secrets. Nature is brimming with possibilities, and you can use it to create diverse worlds. For instance, a desert could serve as the backdrop for a survival story, while a meadow could unfold a whimsical fantasy. Since I travel a lot, I do my best to get out to a beach, a mountain, a plain, or a desert.

I’m not overly fond of big cities, but there are some that I enjoy (San Diego, Scottsdale, Edinburgh, Paris, to name a few), and they can serve as places to find inspiration. They’re teeming with life and stories, offering a wealth of ideas. A bustling market could inspire a tale of a merchant’s rise to power, while a graffiti-strewn alley could ignite a gritty crime thriller. The anonymity of city life, coupled with its dense humanity, can be a goldmine of inspiration for writers. Charles Dickens found his muse in the foggy, industrial sprawl of Victorian London, and he channeled it to craft some of his most renowned novels. A subway ride or a neon-lit skyline could serve as the catalyst for the next great story.

One of my favorite places for writing inspiration is history and culture. Museums, ancient ruins, or even a dusty book on a library shelf often transport me to another time. I have always loved historical fiction, and two of my novels were written in this genre (Onesimus: A Novel of Christianity in the Roman Empire and Nuff Sed: A Novel of Desert Steve). The crumbling walls of a castle might whisper tales of betrayal and war, while a faded photograph could unravel a multi-generational story. Cultural traditions, such as folklore, music, and rituals, offer a window into human experience, providing a solid foundation for your novel’s world. Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall exemplifies how the past can breathe life into fiction when explored with curiosity and care.

Beyond the physical, inspiration often lies in the intangible: human emotions and interactions. Conversations overheard in a café, a stranger’s fleeting expression, or the raw honesty of a personal memory can ignite the core of your novel. A brief encounter at a newspaper stand in Heidelberg, Germany, was the inspiration for the beginning of my novel, Mortals As They Walk. Relationships, whether joyful, broken, or unspoken, offer endless fuel for your story. My literary novel, To and Fro Upon the Earth, was inspired by a fascination with the human condition through loss, grief, and injustice. Writers like Jane Austen were masters of transforming the subtleties of social dynamics into timeless tales, demonstrating that the heart’s quiet corners are equally powerful as any grand setting.

Finally, one’s own mind can be a treasure trove of inspiration. Dreams, daydreams, and what-ifs allow you to transcend reality, blending the familiar with the extraordinary. A single question—“What if time ran backward?” might spark a speculative masterpiece. By exploring these inner landscapes, writers can create worlds that feel both alien and authentic. My forthcoming novel, Seven Planets, the first in a trilogy, draws its setting in the future across the universe, while dealing with very real and current conditions that humanity faces. Many of my short stories have come from dreams or daydreams, especially those that explore the chaos of life and our reactions to it.

For me, the key is to remain open at all times, because inspiration often arrives unexpectedly, in unexpected places, as if waiting for me to pluck it out of the ether and make it my own.