All around you. A writer should always be on the look out for a story. You only have to keep your eyes, ears and mind open to all that is around you, to find something to inspire you – to set you off on a path of discovery through your writing.

‘Write about what you know’ is often quoted as good advice to a writer or wannabe writer. But it’s important to continue adding to your wealth of knowledge and experiences; good to seek out new things to do and new ideas to write about. You may not have to go very far either. They may be right on your doorstep, right under your nose, for all you know.

Go shopping at midnight at your 24hr supermarket – who is working that shift? how do they feel? who is shopping at this time?

Visit your local magistrates’ court and sit in on some cases/trials – how is the place run? who does what there? What sort of cases are being heard?

Take a close look at the noticeboard in your library or community hall – every notice has a story to tell and also valuable contact details are usually given.

Pop into the local museum you walk past every day but never go in – who works there? What unusual or interesting exhibits are there?

Say hello to the owners of the new business just opened on the High Street – what’s their background? How is the recession affecting them?

How about some serendipitous searches – visit places or streets with unusual or strange names – I live not far from Labour-in-Vain Hill, Honeystreet, the Shambles, New Zealand, Tiddleywink, Knook, Cuckoo’s Knob and Fugglestone. What’s the place like? What’s the origin of the name? What do locals think about their address?

What to do?

Watch, listen, enquire, record, store, absorb, reflect, retrieve, transform, create, edit, publish.