Brainstorming Thursday: Inspiration from the Every Day

I know that since the Brainstorming Thursdays have kicked off I've delved into more sciencey things, but the truth is most of the story is human, every day elements. The characters meet, react to each other (positively or negatively) and shit happens (good or bad or both).

And every writer knows the best inspiration for that comes from the mundane daily stuff: grocery shopping, commute traffic, or sitting at a deli street side table watching the people go by.


Photobucket Upload by "hesined"



Take the photo here. Normal busy day with people innocently going and doing what they're doing. Shopping, walking home, meeting someone.

Or are they? Is it really that innocent?

Maybe the guy there with the red backpack is carrying some biological weapon and heading to the pub there up the street? Or maybe the woman in the black and white shirt has just stolen intelligence from the man there in the white shirt and tan shorts.

Ooh, or there's a hired sniper up the steps there in the shadow of the stairwell taking aim at the insanely rich woman with the brown purse.

I love sitting and watching people go about their business and making up a fictional story about them. Sometimes I don't even have to do that. The other day I sat and spied a wonderful couple who were so in love the world around them disappeared. They weren't grossly PDAing it, but they were just so connected.

What real life moments have captured your attention and have you used them as elements in your story?