I’m not too sure where they come from. But when an original ‘idea’ appears, it just seemingly sprouts from my mind.
Poof!
I can definitely tell an organic sprout to one that I’m intentionally trying to make. It’s just not the same. Too . . . fake? Or maybe to me, it seems too contrived? I think that is the word. But I can tell that it is not original or as good as other stories. They are the ones that I push to the side in favour of others.
How these ideas come to me is a bit of a mystery. I think it might be a combination of my personality, imagination and how I see the world. In the last few years since I’ve stepped up my writing and developed my critical eye, I’ve taken to having the opinion that a lot of YA novels have a premise that I would never pick because it just seems too implausible. I’m more of a grounded reality type of storyteller. Which I know is a bit off seeing as I write fiction.
Besides the fact that I really enjoy writing, I think that fact that I also use it as a means of understanding the world around me is a great influence. Because to write characters and stories one has to know the world somewhat.
Stephanie Haggarty 