Non-writers always ask where the ideas come from. As if they come from some special place. And are only doled out to the very lucky.

But ideas come from everywhere. From the article you read that prompts a “what if” question. From the juxtaposition of two different things being combined to create a new thing.

Sometimes an idea comes in a dream.

And sometimes an idea just pops into your head. Like a gift.

Maybe it is a gift. Elizabeth Gilbert talks about the Muse coming and bestowing the gifts of ideas.

The only catch is that you’ve got to do something with those ideas.

Most ideas are easy to come up with. It’s the executing of those ideas that’s the important thing.

That’s where the real magic of ideas come in. You work on them. And as you write and rewrite, other new ideas come and change the work. Transform it.

Gilbert likes to say that part of the work is to show up and do the work. Be in your writing space frequently.

So the Muse knows where you are and can bestow some idea magic into your imagination.

But the magic only blossoms when you do the work. The work of writing. The work of creating.

The idea is a seed. It’s almost nothing until you plant it. Water it. Give is sun. Check the soil. And spend a lot of time on it.

If you want to coax the Muse to give you ideas you’ve got to do the work first.

And if the idea of the Muse is silly to you, you still need to do the work to flesh out the ideas that you come up with yourself.

Having an idea is never enough. You’ve got to do the work to bring it to fruition.