Here are ten obvious places to look:
1. THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW.
No matter what they say, most writers write about people they know or have known. Sure, you can't write directly about someone. But for characters to ring true they will obviously come out of your own experience. Just make sure you change the name, age, job or even the gender, so you don't end up sued for libel!
2. THE PLACES YOU GO.
After characters and plot, setting is the most important aspect of a novel. To make sure your readers see and feel your settings, base them on places you know.
3. YOUR JOB.
Or previous job. Forget 'sex sells'. Work - that's the real winner. People have a voyeuristic fascination with other people's jobs. And if you give your characters jobs you know a lot about then it is bound to give your novel that ring of authenticity. It's also a perfect opportunity to get revenge on your old boss.
4. OTHER STORIES.
The author Christopher Booker reckons there are only seven basic plots. These are 'the quest plot' (eg. Lord of the Rings), 'the overcoming-the-monster plot' (eg. Jaws), 'rags-to-riches' (eg. Vanity Fair), 'the tragedy' (eg. Macbeth), 'voyage-and-return' (eg. Peter Pan), 'the comedy' (eg. chick-lit) and 'the rebirth story' (eg. A Christmas Carol). Every single story that has ever been written loosely follows one of these formulas, so there is no shame in looking at other plots within your category for inspiration.
5. CHILDHOOD.
Childhood is not only the most important period of our lives, it also provides us with ideas. And some of the best books ever written are based around childhood experience.
6. THE BAD TIMES.
Painful times are the inspiration for many writers. For whatever reason people like to read about how characters deal with grief, loss, broken relationships, financial worries, family crises etc etc.............
7. RESEARCH.
Whether you are setting your novel in the past or the present, research is a valuable source of inspiration. For instance, the idea for The Man from Perfect came from researching an article on 'the science of dating'. Get on the Internet. Go to your library. Look at newspaper archives and history books. They are filled with potential story ideas.
8. YOUR DREAMS.
The most powerful stories often emerge from our subconscious. They are powerful because they tap into things that everyone can relate to, at a deep level, as human beings.
9. YOUR LOVE-LIFE.
The friends who try and split you up, the boring nights in front of the telly . . . get it all off your chest, as honestly as you can, and other people will relate.
10. YOUR WRITING.
Ultimately, I find the very best ideas come from the actual process of writing. You will start writing with one idea in mind and then another idea will come along. Go with it. See where it takes you. Follow your instinct and try not to be bogged down by what is right for 'the market'. It may be a mess at first, but you can edit it down later. So the key to getting inspired is simple really: write until you get blisters!
Getting Inspired