Where do you get your ideas for story plots? Do you see a mother and child playing on a swing set and think, hmm, there's a story there? Do you have dreams or nightmares that stick with you when you wake? Do you find ideas from conversations or current events? Share how inspiration strikes you.
Most of my story ideas come from dreams. I have always had very vivid nightmares. I think I started turning bad dreams into stories to ease the fear. If I made it a story, then it wasn't about me. Sometimes I dream an entire "movie". I keep a notebook by my bed and scribble key words or phrases in the dark and hope I can make sense of it in the morning. Once a friend had a story idea she was sharing with me. Instantly a picture came to me. Completely different than what she envisioned. I asked her if I could run with her idea in a different direction. Of course she said yes. "A Letter to My Unborn Son" is still my favorite short story I have ever written.