Everyone finds their inspiration from different places. Some people find their inspiration in their own lives, some use music or art. Where do you find yours? If you find your inspiration from music, what kind of music helps get your creative juices flowing? Do you draw your ideas from a good film or book? What about viewing a particularly interesting painting? Maybe even something simple helps you, such as taking a long walk on a crisp day. Who knows, perhaps someone else uses the same unconventional method of sparking their creativity as you!

Definitely music, mainly Build Guardian and Electronic music. Valkyries by Blind Guardian. Electronic/etc music.

A bike ride helps as well. I tend to not think of much while outside, so I guess it's letting my brain rest creativity-wise.

After a shower with some coffee is also helpful. c:

Music usually helps. Most of the time A Fine Frenzy does it for me, but I really have to be in a certain kind of mood to really get going with it.

When I am trying to find inspiration, I think about what the characters or places I am writing about should look like and I go onto weheartit.com and browse pictures. Usually, that puts me into the mood or mindset of creating a certain chapter or storyline.

When I am working on a project, I do not read other books. I feel like it clogs my mind with other characters and I need to focus more on the characters I am trying to create.

Music is my main way of inspiration, especially if its a tense/teary/b'aww-worthy scene. Movies too, I regularly take inspiration from movies for role plays.

Dreams. Sometimes I'll have these awesome dreams that I can remember almost perfectly after waking up. It doesn't happen very often, so I get all excited and end up writing about every detail I can. Music gets me day dreaming, but it doesn't directly inspire what I write.

Movies and books, mostly. And sometimes music.

Also it comes very often from dreams, sometimes I can dream whole stories that I have to get written down.

Well, music does help, as well as other creative works like books and even movies. However, regarding music, I find it harder to actually write when music is playing. At least songs with lyrics do. It's much easier with something instrumental on a low volume as a sort of background noise.

(I'm jealous of you people who can write from dreams. I can never remember mine, making it very difficult to use them for inspiration!)

When it comes to writing my inspiration comes and goes and sometimes it's so random when it decides to stop by... Usually music helps me, though the best type of music always has been songs that have meaningful lyrics. If I can find a meaning or a relation of the lyrics to one of my characters I will listen to that song over and over as I write down my idea. Doesn't always work though but when it does I can write for hours.

Another thing that inspires me is reading books. I find if I enjoy someone elses work it can spark my inspiration. It's funny how this comes to be but I find it very helpful. Hard to explain but yeah I find it inspiring.

My dreams. My dreams are freaking insane and very vivid. When I go to sleep, it's like stepping into a drug trip. I use a lot of the stuff I see in my dreams as story aspects and, because of my own curiosity about dreams as a result of my own, I often just use dreams in general as a common theme in my work.

I also use music a lot, but that comes secondary to dreams.

It's kind of interesting to see that a lot of you use dreams for your inspiration! I personally don't have a lot of dreams that ever make any sense, let alone anything that would be usable for a story.

Personally, I find inspiration when I do things that allow me to just slip into daydreams. Taking a walk, baking, and things like that really get my brain going! I agree with not being able to listen to music while I write, unless it is something soothing and without lyrics, but I know that sometimes listening to lyrics or tunes might spark some ideas to use later on.

A lot of time my inspiration comes from my real life. I use characters based on who I wish I was, and what I wish I could do in that situation, which I'm too pathetic to do in IRL. From there it ends up adding in star ships, lyanthropes (real ones, not that garbage teenie boppers are into nowadays), homelessness, or whatever.

Aw, I'm sure you're not too pathetic to do things IRL! I totally get making characters solely to be something that you're not though. It's fun to be able to step out of your shoes for a while.

Evelyn, when faced with an argument with her lover, will turn into a werewolf and DESTROY all things around her. Angela, irl, starts blubbering and staring at her feet. One of my favourite stories was based around when my (now) husband kicked me out several years ago for not getting a job/not doing anything. He was in his rights. I wrote a short story about a young woman who was from a 'family' of werewolves, but she was mentally ill to an extent, and because of this, her 'family' was disgusted with her. Her biological uncle, a werewolf, took her in. He passed away, and she was removed from the home. Wondering the city streets through the snow, a light was visible in the window of the library's basement. She snuck inside and began living there. The night janitor, not much older than her, started leaving her food. Eventually they fell in love and he took her home with him. One evening he asked her to marry him, before saying 'yes', she showed him she was a werewolf. He threw her back out into the streets in fear.

In real life, I moved back in with my parents, and have never been homeless. Writing the story helped me cope with it, and let me blame him instead of myself.

It kind of embarrasses me to admit, but... fanfiction gives me a lot of inspiration. xD; Fanfiction, TV shows, video games, movies, the occasional good book...

Occasionally music from soundtracks, especially the American McGee's Alice and Dexter soundtracks, can help me get into the creepy mood I need to write (I am basically incapable of writing... happy normal things. ;; I just can't.) But music never really inspires me otherwise. I guess because, soundtracks aside, I only listen to happy, upbeat songs, even though I'm not able to write happy, upbeat things haha.

photographs, drawings, music and movies. Nature inspires me, the ever changing weather.

Ideas just tend to appear in my head at random moments, and if I think they're worth writing down I do. I almost always listen to music when I write, helps me concentrate and not just start day-dreaming instead!

Oh~ Heh. I just wrote a post on my Tumblr about inspiration.

God, let's see. When I get in a rut, sometimes going back to read old pieces helps me get back into the feel of things, and I can keep writing. Music, for me, is rarely, /inspiration/ but it may help me stay in the moment, so to speak.

I'm lucky that my writing partner and I bounce off one another really well, which helps. But beyond that, I'm more of a 'what if' person. I love wondering what could happen, which can lead to some strange ideas at times. Nature is another great place to get inspiration from. There are many incredible animals and locations, so I'd say looking at pictures and learning more about the world definitely help.

Insomnia. I think of some of my best ideas when I'm laying in bed trying to get my brain to shut the fuck up. And of course, when I get up to write them down I'm suddenly OH SO TIRED AND CAN'T.

My body hates me.

Maybe you should keep a pen and a memo pad by your bed! I have one beside me for that reason, though I don't get ideas in bed that often. Usually when I do, it's not even story related, it's like REMEMBER TO DO THIS IN THE MORNING, etc. It does help though.

Music, people watching, sometimes I sift through prompts online... Mostly I get inspired by watching other people. Or studying history, because I am a geek like that :D