Where does inspiration come from?

So I wonder this question a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot! It seems every author has a different way to find inspiration for stories and characters. Besides that, some people only get few ideas that happen to be gems, or hundreds of constant flowing ideas they need to sift through.

But when you read a really good book, after the stun of all those amazing words calm down a tad, you always wonder, "How the heck did they write that? All those characters? The complicated plot??" The funny thing is they could have gotten inspiration from a simple name, place, or item.

I guess I'm one of the people who have a billion ideas. They constantly throw themselves at me, sprouting from the taste of a strudel to a look at scenery. But the time when I get most of my ideas is when I'm over my head in the (really, really, really sharp) thorns of blackcaps, blackberries, and raspberries. I've got a big patch of all of these goodies right outside my house, and whenever I go out to gather them, I immediately get ideas for my stories.

Is it because I'm doing a simple task with my body that my mind can wander to other places? Hm. That doesn't seem right. My mind wanders constantly! Maybe it's the smell and taste of the berries, mmm. Food is always a good inspiration. Or maybe it's the constant, stinging pain.

Whatever the reason, the berry patch is where I get most of my ideas! So it's a shame that the berry season is over. :( Now I must wait till next summer.

I wish you all a happy end-of-the-berry season!