Unexpected Inspiration

Inspiration for story ideas can really come from anywhere. It was over the Summer that I got the idea for the story I'm working on now and it was unexpected to say the least. Not to pull a Stephanie Meyer ( creator of Twilight, who I have little respect for), but I had an unusually vivid dream. There was a nation at war with unknown, unseen enemies. The creatures were so overwhelming that the nation was forced to ask for aide from a neighboring empire that had conquered all of the other nations around it. I've never been very good at describing my stories but, as I was having this dream, it was like a movie was playing. The themes of the story, the character relationships, and the overall tone were all played out (and consistent) to the end. Most surprisingly I remembered everything when I woke up and, with filling in some holes here and there, I had a book that just needed to be written. So, as long as you're willing to pay attention to it, inspiration can come from the oddest places.