Where I Find Book Inspiration (And Why You Should Steal Ideas From Everything)

"Where do you get your ideas?"

It's the question every author gets asked, usually followed by someone's eyes glazing over when we explain that inspiration is literally everywhere if you know how to look for it. We're like creative magpies, collecting shiny story bits from the most random places and hoarding them until they become books.

Today I thought I'd pull back the curtain on my inspiration process, because honestly? Some of my best ideas have come from the weirdest places. And if my journey from "Hey, that movie was cool" to "Published author with multiple books" teaches you anything, it should be this: there are no wrong sources of inspiration.

Prince of Persia Gave Me My First Book (Yes, Really)

My first published book, Tattered, was directly inspired by the Prince of Persia movie. I know, I know. A lot of people didn't care for that film, but it spoke to my soul with its enemies to lovers plus fantasy combination. Hello, strong heroine! Hello, strong hero! Hello, all the makings of a great slow burn enemies to lovers fantasy romance!

I walked out of that theater thinking, "I can create a book like that world, where the characters hate each other, then are forced together." That single thought spawned my very first published novel. Sometimes inspiration really is as simple as watching a movie and thinking, "I want more of THAT, but with kissing."

The lesson? Don't be a snob about your inspiration sources. That "bad" movie might contain the exact emotional beats your readers are craving.

One "What If" Question Became an Entire Series

For my book Betrayer, this single thought spawned the entire plot: "What if my main female lead actually WANTS to be kidnapped?"

That's it. That's the whole genesis of a full length novel.

I wanted to put my own spin on the popular kidnapping trope, because let's be honest, we've all read the "innocent heroine gets kidnapped by dangerous man" story about a thousand times. But what if she's orchestrating her own kidnapping? What if she NEEDS to be taken? Everything else fell into place after that one twisted little thought.

Sometimes the best stories come from taking a familiar trope and asking, "But what if we flipped this completely on its head?"

Mistaken Identity Plus Enemies Equals Pure Chaos

For A Reflection of Silver and Crimson, I wanted my main female lead to be trapped with her enemy while looking like his actual wife. The delicious confusion! The identity crisis! The romantic tension of being stuck with someone who thinks you're someone else entirely!

Oh, what fun that book has been. There's something beautifully chaotic about throwing your characters into a situation where nothing is what it seems and watching them try to navigate feelings while maintaining a lie.

The Secret to Finding Inspiration Everywhere

Here's what I've learned about gathering story ideas: inspiration isn't some mystical force that strikes only the chosen few. It's a skill you can develop. You just need to start looking at everything through the lens of "What if?"

Movies and TV shows: What emotional beats made you feel something? What relationships made you invested? What plot points made you yell at the screen?

Real life situations: That awkward elevator ride with your ex? Story material. The weird family dynamics at your cousin's wedding? Definitely story material.

Other books: What tropes do you love? What tropes are you tired of? How could you flip them?

Random thoughts: Those weird "what if" scenarios that pop into your head at 2 AM? Write them down. One of them might become your next bestseller.

Dreams and nightmares: Your subconscious is basically a free idea generator working 24/7. Use it.

Permission to Steal (Legally and Ethically)

Here's something they don't teach you in creative writing classes: everything has been done before. Every plot, every character type, every romantic dynamic. The magic isn't in creating something completely original, it's in creating something that feels fresh because it's filtered through YOUR unique perspective.

Take what inspires you and make it yours:

• Love the enemies to lovers dynamic in a historical romance? Set it in space.

• Obsessed with a particular character type from a TV show? Give them different motivations and backstory.

• Can't stop thinking about a movie's world building? Create your own version with different rules.

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The key is transformation, not duplication. You're not copying, you're reimagining.

Start Your Inspiration Collection Today

Want to become an idea generating machine? Start paying attention to what makes you feel things:

Keep an idea journal. That random thought about magical tattoos that come alive? Write it down. The dream about a library that exists between worlds? Capture it before it disappears.

Ask "what if" constantly. What if vampires were actually the good guys? What if magic came with a terrible price? What if the villain was right all along?

Study what you love. When a book, movie, or show gives you ALL the feels, figure out why. What specific elements created that emotional response? How can you recreate that feeling in your own work?

Embrace weird inspiration. The stranger the source, the more unique your story might be. I once got a plot idea from a particularly dramatic argument in the grocery store checkout line. No source is too random.

The Bottom Line

Inspiration isn't about waiting for lightning to strike. It's about training yourself to see story potential in everything around you. That movie everyone else hated might contain the emotional core of your next bestseller. That random "what if" thought might spawn an entire series.

Your job as a writer isn't to create something that's never existed before. Your job is to take the things that already exist and make them uniquely, authentically yours. The world needs YOUR version of the enemies to lovers story. YOUR take on the kidnapping trope. YOUR spin on whatever weird idea keeps you up at night.

So start collecting those shiny story bits. Start asking "what if?" Start seeing inspiration everywhere. Your readers are waiting for the stories only you can tell.

What's the weirdest place you've ever found story inspiration? Drop a comment and let's celebrate the beautiful randomness of the creative process!