Where does inspiration come from? From people around us? From places we visit? From inside the writer? I’m always looking for inspiration to send my fingers flying over the keys.

Look left. Look right. Look back. Look forward. Always look, because stories are being told everywhere, and inspiration, which sometimes seems to be hiding, is really only waiting for the writer to strike.

Tonight, I leave for New York. I’m traveling with my brother, Chris, to celebrate his recent graduation from CSU Fullerton. First, a short flight down to Long Beach in Southern California, where he joins me, then, the red eye to JFK.

I’m tired of long flights–they’re torturous, boring and uncomfortable. However, a writer’s suffering is never without reward–inspiration allows a writer to transform any experience into story. For example, my novel includes a scene with a flight to the Philippines. My flight to New York will serve as research for my novel.

I love that. When you’re a writer, your life is your research.

In New York, hopefully, we’ll visit a few used book stores, and of course, the New York Public Library. In New York, inspiration lurks behind every corner, and under every brick. The people, the colors, the sounds–ah New York! Inspiration, I’ll be looking for you…