Goodreads asked Rachael Arsenault:

How do you get inspired to write?

Rachael Arsenault This definitely varies with whatever project I'm working on.

The media I consume for sure has an impact on what I write and how I write it, but that can happen in a variety of ways. So, sometimes I'll read a book or watch a show and I'll dislike how a particular issue is handled or how a plot point or worldbuilding element is developed. That gets my brain working and I start thinking about how I might have handled things differently - and sometimes I think deeply enough about it that I start spinning a completely different plot and world out of it.

Similarly, the things I really enjoy also influence what I write. If something resonates with me, I want to capture that magic and try to recreate it - I want to figure out what makes it work as well as it does. It's especially fun trying to make the things I love from one genre or medium fit into the contemporary YA I typically write. D&D had been one of those influences lately.

Real life plays a role, too. It's impossible not to have your own experiences colour your writing, and of course I incorporate a lot of elements of the world around me into my stories. Both the things I love about real life and the things I wish I could change find their place in my worlds. It helps things feel more grounded and real.

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