By Leslie Lindsay

So, my 6 1/2 year-old daughter and I had lunch today at Panera.  As we were nibbling on our Valentine shortbread cookie, I asked her, “So how do you come up with ideas for your stories?”   She cocked her head, red hair falling about her shoulders and said, “Well, I just look around me and come up with something I see in the world.”

I nodded and replied with, “Yeah.  That’s a good way to do it.”

“Like that fly,” she continued.  “I could write what it’s like to be a fly who lives in the restaurant.”

“Sure,” I responded.  “That would be an interesting story.”

And that was about the end of that discussion.

You see, as usual my little sprite is onto something.  Writing comes from within.  And while it’s true that writing is an excercise in introspection, it is fueled by your surroundings, your experiences, your philosophy on life.

So, get out there and find a little slice of life you’d like to explore.  Or just be a fly on the wall at Panera. But whatever you do, don’t just sit there–Write on, Wednesday!

Leslie Lindsay is the author of “Speaking of Apraxia: A Parent’s Guide to Childhood Apraxia of Speech” due out in March 2012 by Woodbine House, Inc.  She is working on her second book, a novel.