Where Do the Ideas Come From?

I have a secret. I often find myself in situations where I wonder what on earth I'm going to write about. This happens mostly when I write short stories, but it does occasionally happen with novels as well. Writing short fiction is great because it doesn't take a lot of time, but the downside is you have to be so creative. I've had over 100 short stories published, and seriously, sometimes I wonder where I come up with the ideas.


Today, I'm telling you my secret. Are you ready?


I sit down. I open a blank document. I start typing. Sometimes, I have no idea what I'm writing or where I'm going with the story. But that doesn't matter. When I get myself in the chair and typing, my brain kicks into gear. It's like I've trained myself to be creative on command.


That's it. Yes, it's the old butt in chair method. It works. The great thing about being a writer is we are creative by nature. So, the next time you think you don't know what to write about, put yourself in your writing space and go through the motions, because your brain knows how to react to the computer and be creative. All you have to do is get yourself there.


How do you find ideas when you think you've exhausted them all?