Where do your story ideas come from?

Happy Birthday, America. I live close to a parade route, so I got woken up with a bunch of noise on the 4th that included ABBA's "Dancing Queen," motorcycles, shouting, sirens, and people squealing the tires on cars. I obviously didn't watch it, but I imagine that the squealing tires were probably from classic cars or vehicles that held some kind of "wow" factor. So it was a typical 4th of July at its start. But it's also the first Wednesday of the month of July, so let's talk about the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

What is the purpose of the IWSG?: It's to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

When do y'all post?: That happens on the first Wednesday of every month. It is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. If you are unsure as to what to do, the instructions are simple. You post your thoughts on your own blog. Or, you talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered, and you express support for other writers through those experiences. It's also a great networking opportunity. Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog when you visit and comment on other people's posts. Otherwise, when you leave a comment, people can't find you to comment back.

The Twitter handle for the Insecure Writer's Support Group is @TheIWSG and the hashtag that everyone uses is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the July 5 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre!

Every month, the IWSG announces a question that members can answer in their IWSG post (it's optional). These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. If you go this route, you should include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

July 5 question - 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?

First off, I wasn't the one that wrote the question. So 99% of my story ideas definitely do not come from dreams. I feel like...when I choose to write...a lot of my ideas spring out of character development. In other words, I get these ideas in my head that form a story that already involves a certain character, and then that's the one that I want to tell. But none of them are really strong ideas (unfortunately). One reason I've cut down on my writing is that I feel like other people are already out there telling the kinds of stories that I like, and I can always find one that somehow does it better than what I could have done. But, that doesn't mean that a story that I do choose to tell isn't preferred by someone else. I maintain that the most meaningful thing that an author can do is connect with an audience that appreciates their work. 

And that's basically my answer to this month's question. Thanks for stopping by.