How Inspiration Strikes

Where do book ideas come from? Sometimes it’s a near-miss with a duck on a Saturday morning, and other times it's the bravery of a willy wagtail standing up to a bully. From my upcoming Aussie ABC project to the 'What if...?' moments that spark a story, I’m sharing my creative process—and why you should never let spelling stand in the way of a great idea.

Many people ask me how I come up with ideas for my books. The truth is, inspiration can be sparked by the most unexpected things. For example, the idea for the Gregory books arose after a duck nearly flew into my car while I was driving home. The incident stayed with me, and soon I found myself at my laptop one Saturday morning, letting the words flow freely. When inspiration hits, it’s as if my fingers are on autopilot; the story pours out effortlessly. Of course, after the initial burst of writing, there’s always a substantial amount of editing to be done. While automatic writing feels magical, it certainly means more work later on!

The inspiration for Gregory and the Bully also comes from real life. My own daughter was bullied at school, and I’ve witnessed many students face similar challenges. Having experienced bullying myself as a child, I know how difficult it can be. As a teacher, it frustrates me when schools ignore these issues. I wanted to address bullying directly in my writing, but in a way that felt a step removed from the everyday—an allegorical approach.

When I was younger, I’d spend hours perched in trees, watching birds. I was always fascinated by how willy wagtails would band together to chase off larger, more intimidating birds like magpies and crows. I brought this spirit of unity into Gregory and the Bully. Stories of people standing up to bullies, such as strangers joining forces on trains to protect others, are equally inspiring. These experiences reinforce the idea that collective action can make a real difference—go team little guys!

Parenting has also sparked ideas for my writing. When my children were learning the alphabet, I noticed most ABC books featured American or generic themes, like “Z is for Zebra.” This made me think: why not create an ABC book using Australian icons, presented in poetic forms such as limericks, haiku, and acrostics? Imagine: Ali the Ant ate a Granny Smith Apple, right through to Zoos of Australia. This project, still in progress, has been my creative focus over Christmas 2025/26. I plan to paint the illustrations myself, as commissioning 26 images would be costly. Let’s see where this project leads—Woo Hoo!

If I encounter writer’s block, I find my best ideas come when I’m near water—whether in the bath, shower, washing up, by a fountain, creek, or at the beach. Long drives on open rural roads also fuel my creativity. While music works for some, these two settings are my most reliable sources of inspiration.

Ultimately, my ideas mostly arise from asking “What if…?” If you want to write, don’t let self-doubt—especially concerns about spelling—hold you back. I often hear kids say, “I can’t write because I can’t spell.” But spelling doesn’t sell books—ideas do! Editing can always be done, and there are people who can help with that, even if it isn’t cheap. So, keep writing, chase your ideas, and follow your dream. You never know where your next story will come from!