Coming up with ideas...

One of the reasons writers become writers is because they are incredibly curious. They question the what, why, how, when and where in so many situations they can be quite annoying or the best friend to a narcissus.

Often this curiosity produces ideas for articles, blogs, books, etc. Good ideas can spring up from anywhere. I often get blog ideas from chatting with friends. At some point during the conversation I realize that I've just fallen into a great article idea. My blogs are definitely less formal than any of the articles I write so casual passings are more likely to make it to my blog before they make it to an article.

Coming up with a great article idea takes more effort. I find myself most inspired when I read other articles. I make time each morning to read several papers and magazine articles from all over. When a particularly interesting article strikes me, I think about how the article could be written from a different angle, if there is a local spin or what other information could be gleaned from the same subject.

Many magazine articles come about that way. A small news item sparks another writer's curiosity and that writer delves deeper into the story. A magazine article has the opportunity to go into far more detail than most "just the facts" news items. The same works in reverse. Magazines and blogs many times spark a news article.

Inspiration breeds inspiration so, where do you get your ideas from?