Goodreads asked Jonathan Maas:

How do you get inspired to write?

Jonathan Maas Two things inspire me:

1) The first thing is public transportation. As a working father of two, the only time I *can* write is during my commute to and from work.

'City of Gods: Hellenica' was largely written on the LA Metro 218 bus.
'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth' and 'Flare' were largely written on the LA Metro 760, which is now the 734.

I am writing another one, and I wrote a lot of it on the Red Line Subway headed to downtown, but switched jobs and am now writing it on the LA Metro 183, to Glendale and back.

2) Second thing is just time, patience, the universe and my own subconscious. OK, that's four things and they are all pretty vague, but hear me out.

In my process if I just have the discipline to get up every morning and think about the story, my subconscious will help make it happen. It can happen to you too! You know when a song name is on the tip of your tongue, and the next day you blurt it out? That's your subconscious at work.

So I get up every morning, take what the universe is giving me, and push it forward. And then I take the time and edit those thoughts down, again and again.

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