How Do We Come Up with Writing Ideas?

Have you ever wondered how people come up with ideas for what they write? Have you ever thought "I'm just not creative enough to come up with things like that"? Even though I'm a writer, I think that all the time. 

But then there are those glorious moments when an idea just COMES to you.

Yesterday I was driving home from work (my commute lasts for about thirty minutes on a good day) when an entire plot for a new book just popped into my head. Something on the radio reminded me of college, which made me start thinking about when I was in college, which made me start thinking about the mistakes I've made, which led to a "What if..."

And bam, a plot was constructed.

When I got home I watched an episode of Modern Family. A five-second clip in a psychologist's office turned on the light bulb in my head--suddenly I had the setting I needed to make my story complete. An idea for a novel was born.

All you need are tiny sparks to get your writing juices flowing. Ideas for good books can come from anywhere--and I do mean anywhere!

My completed manuscript was also written with the help of these little sparks. A Maroon 5 song provided the ambiance of Morgan's sexual awakening. A episode of Glee pissed me off enough to make me insert a rant about misconceptions of bisexuality (which ended up being the cornerstone of Morgan's understanding of sexual identity). A character from the Brady Bunch was so pretentious that she secured the name of Morgan's simultaneously pleasant and bitchy friend. Dashboard Confessional music turned my protagonist into an emotional, whiny wreck.

Other factors that have played a role in my writing: the way people look, the way people smell, the way someone smiled, random words that caught my attention (from friends or media), the names of strangers I've come across, emotions felt while reading books, the decor of buildings, ads for cars...the list goes on and on.

Where did you get YOUR inspiration?