Where Ideas Come FromWhere Ideas Come From

Ever been really hot?Ever been really hot?

Discussion of Bill Watterson’s cartoon Calvin and Hobbes

Ever feel so hot you thought you might melt? Many people have. This is a shared experience.

See the water cycle? Science is used in the story.

Humor is used, when Calvin cools down and feels natural/normal.

Book Discussions Depending on age, I discuss where ideas

come in a variety of books. For younger students: Mortimer by Munsch, Shortcut by D. Crews, Fuzz Frenzy by Stevens & Hummel.

Older students: War of the Worlds by HG Wells, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by R. Bach, Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

From real life to stories:

Use relatable characters to target your audience.

Use relatable themes and conflicts, age appropriate.

Exaggerate. Use feelings. Use humor.

How William Hill’s imagination works

I discuss where the ideas came from in one of my books, from The Magic Bicycle, to The Vampire Hunters or Dragon Pawns.

Who trains wizards’ familiars? Who trains wizards’ familiars? What if there was an academy?What if there was an academy?

What if a wizard had a dragon-like What if a wizard had a dragon-like temper?temper?