Getting Inspiration

You are staring at that annoying cursor that seems to mock you. Your mind remains blank and unfocused. What will the next paragraph be? What comes next?

Is this you at times? For all authors this happens more often than you would like. It has happened to me more than once. It leaves me feeling small, insignificant and insecure, as I'm sure it leaves you feeling.

For me inspiration comes from a lot of places, though. A beautiful scene can bring a poem to mind. A sound can bring a story into focus. It can be a sudden burst of inspiration or something that sparks a thought that grows over time. That nagging, crushing barren instance can still happen at any time. We must find ways to battle it.

I haven't suffered from writer's block in a long time, but I won't say that I won't have the affliction ever again. I have found something that keeps these empty times from ocurring, so far. I have more than one project going at the one time, and I work on each project a little every day. This keeps my thoughts fresh and flowing. I am ready with a new thought for each piece as I begin to work. Like I said, so far so good.

Where do your ideas come from? How to you get inspired?