Goodreads asked Stephen Bradford Marte:

How do you get inspired to write?

Stephen Bradford Marte Usually I get drunk first. Then I run around the house naked and bang my head against a stone wall three times. That gets the creative juices flowing.

Kidding, of course.

I don't wait for inspiration. Any time to write is a good time. Maybe I just came out of the box pre-inspired. Sitting around waiting for a light bulb to go off over my head all seems like a tremendous waste of time; time that could have been spent crafting a good paragraph.

Rather than inspiration, I believe in research. Whether it's by reading a biography of Pythagoras, climbing around the ruins of an ancient Greek city, or having a conversation with my 94-year old friend Jim - those are the types of activities that help generate material.

Whether I'm working on a novel, short story, magazine article or space ad, I usually start by gathering information. That could mean reading or interviewing someone. Once you've compiled your information, you sift through it, make sense of it, and start writing.

Don't know how other writers work, but doing my homework first is what provides me with all the inspiration I need to put pen to paper. That, a vodka tonic and a good kick in the head always seems to kick start my engine.

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