I do not subscribe to a local newspaper, although sometimes I'll read online papers. I absolutely never watch the news on TV. Frankly, it's just too much information for my brain to absorb and most articles deal with such negative topics, why waste my time? Until recently, keeping up on news events felt like a giant vacuum sucking out my energy and creativity--my oxygen. Then I made a discovery. Reading about what's going on in my local community, the country, or the world, provides an endless source of ideas for characters and plots! Duh!! True, if I wrote crime novels, legal thrillers, or murder mysteries there may appear to be a greater pool of scenarios to draw from. But every time I peruse online articles, blogs, and even the occasional newspaper, or listen to podcasts on a variety of topics, I find a plethora of ideas for writing YA Fantasy with a cross over into new Age Fiction. It's actually become a critical part of my creative processing. Sometimes I have to remind myself to stop reading and start writing. Certainly there are other ways to gather ideas for stories, but don't discount the news. Someday, your novel may be the next big headline.
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