I write about things that strike my fancy. I am opinionated, sometimes quirky, and love genre fiction. Mystery, fantasy, and science fiction are my main genres. But like my characters, I sometimes venture into the unknown. Welcome!

Ideas: They Come and They Go

Mar 29, 2026by Cora Foerstner

Ideas . . . why a post about ideas? A lot of people ask the question, "Where do you get your ideas?" I don't think there is a definitive answer.

But . . . there are answers. They vary with every writer.

This is what I think. Ideas are everywhere. Some stick. Some don't. Some just happen in an instant.

Yes, fiction writers, actually all writers even non-fiction writers, might start with an idea. The difference between fiction and non-fiction is that fiction writers just make up stories. Honest non-fiction writers are trying to tell the truth as they see it.

I usually don't write about ideas or an idea. Characters are my thing. I had two characters that kept coming into my mind (yes, this is woo woo shit). A woman and a young man about 20 or so. The first hundred or so time they came to mind, I dismissed them. She was an adventurer and he want her to teach him to be an adventurer. The mix sounded lame and done million times.

Finally, I decided to write a short story that turned out to be far more interesting that I imagines. The Swords of Aroc series was born.

I was listening to a song when the idea for "Past and Present Collide" (a short story) came to me. I didn't really know the plot story. What I imagined was three characters, and they were in trouble.

Not all characters and ideas turn out to be what I thought or make for good stories. For me, if I persistently think about a character or characters, they'll probably sick around and find a place in a story. Others turn out to be passing thoughts.