One of my heroes:
“Denver the Dapper Dog with the permanent tuxedo and the cool bow tie.”
Note: The dog to the left is my dog, who was my inspiration, but is nothing like Denver.
Thankfully imagination works like that.

by Park Troopers via Unsplash
A story idea that came from an icebreaker speech at Toastmasters (used with permission):
Someone moving to a new place and going “over the top” about adapting to that place.

by Gareth Harper via Unsplash
Story ideas from my life:
Growing up, folks had a hard time pronouncing my name.
My husband left town and the house seemed to be making new noises. What if a child in a new house were having the same experience?
Many of my friends have had to deal with parents or grandparents with Alzheimer’s or dementia. How could that be a story to give a kid words to use to describe their feelings?