How to make plot ideas pop into your head

[Dennis]

Novelists are often asked how they get their plot ideas. I get many of the plots for my science thrillers to pop into my noggin from extensive reading about science and technology. However, sometimes the idea will come before any research, often as little more than a phrase or sentence. I’ve found “What if…?” questions to be the most fruitful.

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[Groovy]

The same for me. It could be something someone says, or the way someone looks. In my novel, Colors In The Dark, I got a plot idea just by hearing the song, 'I shot the Sheriff.' The plot for 'Cause She's A Good Girl' came from my obsession with Prince. I never thought of asking, "What if?"