MaddieG asked Jennifer A. Nielsen:

Hello Jennifer A. Nielse, and I was just wondering, how do I figure a good topic to write about? Sometimes I want to write, but I can't figure what to write about. What should I do to get my brain flowing?

Jennifer A. Nielsen Hi Maddie - start paying attention to where your imagination goes when you're bored, or when you're trying to fall asleep. Are you attracted to building new worlds, or creating magic systems, or super powers? Danger, romance, historical time periods, the future? Once you know what it is that draws your attention, start asking questions in ordinary places that lead to imaginative answers.

For example, I read a news story about a baby that had been mistakenly given to the wrong family at birth and they only got it sorted out correctly after twenty years. So I asked myself, "What if it wasn't a mistake? What if that baby was deliberately switched? What might be special about that baby? And what happens now that the baby is returning to her original family all grown up? What will she discover about them that leads her to the truths about herself?

The answers potentially lead to a cool story, but they only started from me asking questions about something I know gets my writer's blood pumping (danger, conspiracy, etc).

Additionally, there are tons of writers prompts online. Scour through them and you'll likely find one that grabs your attention. Give it a try and get writing!

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